ArmInfo.The team of lawyers for businessman Karen Vanetsyan says that their client is not in custody.
A statement released by the legal team of businessman Karen Vanetsyan (Aram Vardevanyan, Arsen Babayano and Sos Hakobyan), in particular, says: "Taking into account the fact that today the media sources disseminated information about the detention of a major businessman Karen Vanetsyan in Russia, we consider it necessary to report the following : Karen Vanetsyan their client is not in custody, rumors to the contrary are lies.
Moreover, Karen Vanetsyan has not been in Armenia since September 14, 2021 to this day. Before this, he had not been in Armenia for a long time, in fact does not live in the Republic of Armenia on a permanent basis, and is engaged in large-scale business activities in a number of countries, including the Russian Federation.
We would like to add that the charge according to the decision of the prosecutor dated November 1, 2023 to initiate public criminal prosecution against Karen Vanetsyan relates to money laundering, however, this is only the version of the prosecutor's office and the investigative body. And in order for a version to truly become an accusation, there must be data indicating this, or rather, justifying it. In this case, actions are attributed to Karen Vanetsyan to which he has nothing to do either in a theoretical or practical sense. Or these are actions of a general nature, which again have nothing to do with the Criminal Code.
And the "decision" to apply a preventive measure in the form of arrest against Karen Vanetsyan with numerous procedural and material violations was appealed to the Court of Cassation, and therefore did not enter into legal force."
Earlier today Russian media sources reported about the detention of billionaire Karen Vanetsyan in the center of Moscow. The brother of the former head of the National Security Service of Armenia, Artur Vanetsyan, is suspected of money laundering in his homeland. According to the investigation, Vanetsyan bought for $15.5 million a 12.5% stake in the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine, which actually belonged to the then Armenian Ambassador to the Vatican. The industrial tycoon allegedly enriched himself by $35 million as a result of all the illegal transactions.
According to Russian media sources, in 2023 Vanetsyan also acquired the Russian business of the American agricultural trader Bunge, which produces Ideal, "Oleyna" and "Maslenitsa" oils. According to the entrepreneur, he bought assets at a cost that was half the real value. The authorized capital of his company after the purchase amounted to 1.3 billion rubles.