«Hraparak». The Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the suspicious increase in income of Haik Sargsyan

Despite the scandalous MP Haik Sargsyan denying any connection to the "White Shorja" after the famous beach party and assuring that he has no ties to the beach, the data he presented in his declaration submitted to the Ethics Commission raises suspicions that his business income significantly increased after becoming an MP. This suggests that the MP has expanded his business. According to the declaration, his family owns a car parts sales point established in 2014.

Haik Sargsyan has submitted two declarations to the Ethics Commission. In the declaration for assuming the position of official, he indicated that the income from January 1, 2018, until the day he assumed official duties amounts to 3,723,340 AMD. Meanwhile, in Sargsyan's 2019 annual declaration, his income for the tax year was 20,908,000 AMD, of which only 3 million 600 thousand is salary, while nearly 17 million, as stated in the declaration, is income derived from "entrepreneurial activities".

The declaration contains data regarding the car parts sales point owned by the Sargsyans, established in 2014. This indicates that a year after the revolution, the MP's business generated approximately 5 times more income—3.6 million in 2018 and about 17 million in 2019. This is not only highly unlikely but also questionable. It is possible that the MP has established other businesses, which resulted in the significant increase in income; however, in this case, he was obliged to declare all financial transactions in his declaration, which he did not do. Additionally, at the beginning of the tax year, Haik Sargsyan also declared 50,000 USD, which became 60,000 USD by the end of the tax year, raising further questions.

As it is known, last Friday, the Anti-Corruption Commission examined the recent incident related to MP Haik Sargsyan, specifically the matter of the MP engaging in illegal business activities. The commission has not yet accepted the case of Haik Sargsyan, as the five-day period stipulated by law expires today. The commission has been gathering materials; according to our information, this is particularly concerning the suspicious increase in income, and they have also approached the State Revenue Committee, requesting data that is not available in public platforms.

"This concerns not only the Sevan organization but also the company that the MP mentioned in the declaration. In general, the declaration is subject to verification, and there is a need for obtaining additional evidence on several different aspects," said the commission's chair Haykuhi Harutyunyan, not wishing to disclose more details.

Read the full article in today's paper.