Former MP and Businessman Arkadi Hambardzumyan Charged by Anti-Corruption Committee

The Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia has established sufficient evidence in the criminal case under investigation that former National Assembly member and businessman Arkadi Hambardzumyan has reportedly made false entries in declarations and other documents related to taxation with the intention of evading substantial tax and dues payments.

According to the committee, Hambardzumyan used clearly forged documents and, being a person obligated to submit a declaration, concealed property worth over 350 million AMD that required declaration.

Specifically, Hambardzumyan imported several batches of expensive furniture worth over 800,000 euros from leading companies in the Republic of Italy and the Kingdom of Spain during 2017-2018. However, to evade substantial tax and dues payment, he employed forged invoices that declared only about 105,000 euros as the actual value of said furniture.

Afterward, the businessman allegedly entered overtly false information regarding the actual values of the acquired goods in declarations and other documents related to taxation, resulting in an uncalculated and unpaid customs duty and VAT amounting to approximately 211 million AMD, along with arising penalties and fines.

Additionally, from 2003 to January 14, 2019, while holding the position of National Assembly member and being a declarant public official, Arkadi Hambardzumyan submitted an asset declaration to the Anti-Corruption Commission on February 9, 2019. In this declaration, he concealed batches of the luxurious furniture he had purchased in 2017 and 2018, which exceeded 8 million AMD in value, leading to the non-declaration of property worth over 350 million AMD.