Viktor Soghomonyan: Neither Robert Kocharyan, nor I can answer your questions at this moment
At present, the Office of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan cannot assess the arrest of Armenian businessman and philanthropist Levon Hayrapetyan in Moscow, Viktor Soghomonyan, who heads the Office of the Armenian Second President, told A1+. The native of Karabakh known for his investments and charity projects in his homeland was detained in Moscow on July 15 over alleged links with a notorious Russian criminal gang. Reports in the Russian media suggest Hayrapetyan is suspected of ‘illegal financial machinations’ in an oil company purchase deal. Basmanny District Court of Moscow has imposed asset freeze sanctions on Bashneft Company which was bought by Sistema Holding in 2008. Robert Kocahryan is a member of the Board of Directors of Sistema JSFC I - the largest publicly-traded diversified holding company in Russia and the CIS. Hayrapetyan is charged with misappropriation of illicit assets and their legalization to get ungrounded high profit from the sale of Bashneft to Sistema. Mr Soghomonyan could not imagine what assessment the Office could give at this moment as ‘all questions should be addressed to the Russian special services.’ Levon Hayrapetyan was arrested at a Moscow Airport on suspicion of being linked to a Russian organized crime gang. Viktor Soghomonyan learnt about the arrest from the press and says neither Robert Kocharyan, nor him can answer questions concerning the arrest at this moment. “We'll have more news as events unfold,” he said.
