Kchoyan is at NSS: Investigative Actions are Underway in Offshore Case

“The case is artificial and fabricated. It is unclear to us what purpose it serves,” said the lawyer of Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, Hovik Arsenyan, in an interview with Lurer.com regarding the charges brought against the holy figure in a scandalous offshore case by the NSS.

The lawyer stated that the archbishop does not accept the allegations against him. “He has provided detailed testimony for verification, yet charges were brought without questioning him as a witness. However, there is no testimony from the victim. We are currently at NSS, and investigative actions are underway,” he said, noting that the charges were brought two days ago and it was unexpected for the accusations to be made.

Arsenyan expressed sorrow because he felt this modus operandi was characteristic of the previous government.

It is noteworthy that for about ten years, the bankrupt businessman and key victim of the offshore scandal, Hayk Hayrapetyan, claims that about $100 million worth of real estate belonging to him was pledged to a bank in 2009, which appraised it at $33 million and allocated $10.7 million to businessman Ashot Sukiasyan. The latter, in accordance with the agreement, instead of investing the money in gold and diamond mining in Africa, transferred it to several Cyprus-based offshore companies, including Wlispera Holdings Limited, thus causing Hayrapetyan to lose his property.

According to the official website of the Cyprus registry, Ashot Sukiasyan, former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, and Navasard Kchoyan were listed as shareholders of Wlispera Holdings Limited. However, in January 2014, Sukiasyan, who was extradited from Georgia to Armenian law enforcement, stated that Tigran Sargsyan and Kchoyan had no connection to the case and that he had forged the signatures. Moreover, Ashot Sukiasyan is the only one convicted in this case.