Officers of Armenia’s Investigative Committee spent nearly six hours searching the Moscow-based holding company’s headquarters in the city center. They left the building with computers and other electronic equipment confiscated as part of what the committee called a criminal investigation into large-scale tax evasion and money laundering.
The law-enforcement agency did not give any details of the probe. Nor did it immediately announce relevant criminal charges against Karapetian or senior Tashir executives. One of Karapetian’s lawyers, Armen Feroyan, described the case as baseless and politically motivated.
“This is a chain of illegalities that was predictable and, I think, will continue,” Feroyan told journalists.
Two opposition lawmakers who also spoke to the press outside the Tashir building similarly linked the raid to the June 18 arrest and prosecution of Karapetian. The latter was charged with calling for a violent regime change hours after condemning Pashinian’s efforts to depose the top clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church opposed to his concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Shortly after Karapetian’s arrest, Pashinian pledged to “quickly” nationalize the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) utility owned by Tashir. He accused the company of creating a “near energy crisis” in Armenia with the possible aim of increasing public discontent with his government.
Armenian opposition leaders and other government critics believe that Pashinian is simply keen to punish Karapetian for challenging him. They have warned that ENA’s seizure, the first of its kind in Armenia’s history, would scare away major foreign investors who have shown little interest in the South Caucasus nation during Pashinian’s seven-year.
Businessman Samvel Karapetian.
The Armenian parliament controlled by the ruling Civil Contract party ignored these warnings when it hastily approved on Wednesday a government bill empowering the authorities to “temporarily” take over ENA’s management before forcing Tashir to sell it within three months.
Such action will have to be approved by the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC). The supposedly independent regulator is headed by a former Civil Contract member who formally terminated his party affiliation just before being installed as commission chairman last November.
Karapetian and his family warned on Monday that they will file an international lawsuit against Pashinian’s government if it does seize ENA. In a statement, they said such a move would be “arbitrary, discriminatory and politically motivated.”
On Wednesday morning, Pashinian also effectively warned ENA employees against taking part in a rally which Karapetian’s family will hold on Friday evening in support of the arrested tycoon. He said company executives engaged in “political intrigues” will be fired as soon as the government takes over ENA later this month.
In a Facebook post, Pashinian also threatened to prosecute “those who force ENA workers to take part in rallies.” He gave no examples or evidence of such coercion.
Karapetian’s legal team was quick to reassure workers who will face government retribution “for their social or religious beliefs.”
“Their violated labor rights will be restored, and in the meantime they will have [different] work under equivalent conditions,” it said in a statement.
