Criminal Case Remains on the Shoulders of Hovik Aghazaryan's Son: "Zhoghovurd"

The criminal case turned upside down by the National Assembly and the Investigative Committee now rests solely on the shoulders of Hovik Aghazaryan's son. This has been reported by the newspaper "Zhoghovurd."

"Following the scandalous statement from the head of the Investigative Committee, cards are being revealed that target specific individuals. Thus, the vehicles of the son of Hovik Aghazaryan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract party, have been placed under prohibition by the Investigative Committee in connection with the criminal case," the article states.

On August 1, 2023, the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia officially announced that an investigation was ongoing into the operations of the companies "Auto Importers," "Union of Auto Importers," and "Auto Importer-4" for cases of abuse committed during their activities.

According to the investigation, it has been established that T.H., who is considered the de facto leader and owner of the aforementioned companies, conspired with various individuals involved in the importation of vehicles to fraudulently steal large sums of money from the state through his company, agreeing with these individuals on importing vehicles with their financial means and exporting them to EAEU countries, with the condition that fifty percent of the refundable VAT would remain with him, which was his benefit, while the other fifty percent would be paid to the individuals.

T.H. is Tigran Hovhannisyan, who had been involved in this case, but his case was closed, while the focus has remained on Hovik Aghazaryan's son.

In an interview with "Zhoghovurd," former director of "Auto Importers" Tigran Hovhannisyan discussed the current stage of the criminal case. He stated: "I was arrested in relation to the criminal case initiated over the alleged damage caused to the state regarding the vehicle import and VAT return processes back in 2023. I was charged with fraudulently embezzling large sums of money from the state. However, the criminal prosecution against me was halted in June 2024, as the preliminary investigation body found that my actions did not constitute fraud, meaning the criminal prosecution against me was terminated on grounds of justification, and the criminal case was closed."

Hovhannisyan also mentioned that there are hundreds of organizations engaged in vehicle imports, many of which are connected to various criminal cases. He clarified that the topics discussed between Hovik Aghazaryan and the head of the Investigative Committee have absolutely no relation to him, nor could they relate, as his case has long concluded. Hovik Aghazaryan's son has also been involved in vehicle imports but has had no connection or cooperation with him, and as far as he is aware, the criminal case against Aghazaryan’s son is still in the investigative phase.

It appears that some cases involving auto importers have been closed, and Hovik Aghazaryan's son remains the only person targeted at this stage. Law enforcement agencies suspect that he has used connections and committed violations, which is why the investigation is still ongoing, and the vehicles remain under prohibition," the newspaper concludes.