168 Hours: The Prime Minister Seems to Have Missed a 250 Million Dram Deal with His Godfather at the Ministry of Defense

168 Hours newspaper reports: "Prime Minister Pashinyan's government has targeted many who became wealthy during the previous administration with numerous criminal cases, yet it seems that he has overlooked one of his closest associates, who became affluent during Robert Kocharian’s presidency and instantly became a millionaire through a deal during Serzh Sargsyan’s tenure.

The story concerns Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s godfather, the Galumyan family from Ijevan, whose two sons became a member of Parliament and Mayor of Ijevan thanks to Pashinyan’s influence in what he calls 'the New Armenia.' Volodya Galumyan, who has been the head of the Ijevan branch of Hayjrmughkoyughi LLC since the 1990s and still holds the position under the renamed 'Veolia Water,' allegedly sold the property of his institution for mere pennies.

In 2004, allegedly using his official position, Galumyan privatized a building owned by the Water Supply Company and a plot of land totaling over 2.5 hectares, paying only 6 million 600 thousand drams to the state. Essentially, the head of the regional water supply managed to secure 2.5 hectares in the center of Ijevan for virtually nothing, paying only 310 drams per square meter, including the building.

It is important to note that this transaction occurred during the presidency of the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharian. Years later, in 2012, under Serzh Sargsyan, Volodya Galumyan somehow managed to sign a lucrative deal with the Ministry of Defense. Accordingly, the land bought for pennies in the center of Ijevan was sold to the Ministry of Defense for 250 million drams, meaning he sold it for 244 million drams more than the initial price of 6.6 million drams he had paid for it. Paying 40 times more for a 2.5 hectare plot has no rational justification, so it is not excluded that behind this suspicious deal, Nikol Pashinyan's godfather Galumyan had 'dark' connections in high places. This enabled him to 'cheat' the state by purchasing land for 310 drams per square meter and then selling it back to the state for 12,500 drams per square meter.

Another notable detail relates to Galumyan's political trajectory. It turns out that until recently, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's godfather Galumyan's family was among the active supporters of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). Specifically, Volodya Galumyan established and coordinated the RPA's Tavush office. This means he was actively involved in campaigning for the RPA and Serzh Sargsyan during electoral processes.

Furthermore, from 2001 to 2008, V. Galumyan served as the chairman of the Tavush Territorial Electoral Commission. This indicates that during that period, the father of the Prime Minister Pashinyan’s closest family indirectly contributed significantly to consolidating Robert Kocharian’s power. Perhaps these political connections once served as administrative leverage for Volodya Galumyan, through which he gained millions from state transactions.

Undoubtedly, in another case, the General Prosecutor's Office of the New Armenia would classify this deal as a 'serious crime,' promptly initiating a criminal case on the grounds of substantial damage to the state; however, it is noteworthy that this transaction has not concerned the Republic's Chief Prosecutor Arthur Davtyan. And do you know why? Because, as previously mentioned, the beneficiary of the deal, Galumyan, has a godfather-godson connection with the Prime Minister, thus any transaction of any scale is guaranteed to be legitimate – no matter the scope of the deal.

Law enforcement has already 'raided' the Tavush region, chasing after lands leased from the Hayantar SNCO, identifying their Republican Party owners and initiating criminal cases against former National Assembly President Ara Babloyan, RPA business MP Arayik Grigoryan, and businessman, former MP Aleksan Petrosyan. However, the land in the heart of Tavush that has become a military unit is right in front of everyone's eyes and does not seem suspicious to the law enforcement agencies at all.

Regional Governor Hayk Chobanyan states that after our calls, he has begun examining the deals concerning the once-leased land that became a military unit. He understands that something is amiss, but cannot see their foundations since the documents lack 'dopusks,' and there are no materials to ascertain their vulnerability or legality. In a conversation with 168.am, Volodya Galumyan does not deny that he also managed to become wealthy during the previous government, magically earning 250 million drams without breaking a sweat.

As for how he extracted 250 million drams from the state for a 2 hectare plot, despite the fact that the government could have expropriated the land for the intended military base under the guise of public interest conditions, Galumyan's case involves a deal made at 40 times its cost, which remains a significant question.

‘At that time, Hayjrmughkoyughi was selling property to clear its debts. The property was valued at around 6 million drams; the building and the 2 hectare plot were one unit with one certificate, and I can’t specifically recall the amount or the year. My property was an old, dilapidated structure along with its land, and I participated in the auction with a soldier, winning it. The head of the water supply wasn’t a big official, so I couldn’t have used official leverage,” the state’s double-dealing around the transaction is clarified by Volodya Galumyan in a conversation with 168.am.

But how did he manage to sell the land 'at a golden price' back to the state? In response to our inquiry, V. Galumyan provided evasive and contradictory answers. Initially, he claimed he couldn’t remember the transaction, saying he was leaving the city and wouldn’t make it to review the documents. Later, he suggested he was receiving an offer from abroad that someone would invest in the land, with substantial preparatory work that had been carried out, for which the 185 million drams spent was returned to the investor.

However, who was this investor? From which country? What business were they going to establish in Ijevan? No substantial answers surfaced in the respondent's convoluted replies: 'I don’t remember; I don't know the name, the organization; that person was from Dubai, I guess; there’s no document of the transfers, I paid him cash, but I have no complaints about the deal; I recouped my costs.' Should we note that contrary to V. Galumyan's claims, we found out from Ijevan that no construction work had taken place on that land and no construction permits were issued from the city hall.

It’s noteworthy that after this deal, Vahe and Hayk Galumyan constructed their restaurant named 'Golden Fish' in Ijevan, frequently hosting the godson – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.