ArmInfo. A new company instead of currently operating Norfolk Consulting will be established in Armenia, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia David Ananyan told journalists on June 15.
Ananyan informed that currently the process of dissolution of the company is underway. At the same time it temporarly conducts its previous activities (freight forwarding, customs registration of documents ) under direct control of the Domestic Security Department of the State Revenue Commitee of Armenia. Later, a new stock company with state participation will be established instead of Norfolk, which will conduct the same functions on more transparent conditions.
At the same time the Head of the Committee stated that the new company will not act as monopolist on the services market as the previous one. On the contrary the aim of establishing a new company is to demonstrate that the state is ready to take responsibility, which non-governmental structures can not bear. "By this, we actually solve the problems of private entrepreneurs, who are physical entities and have insignificant share on clothes market. This means that brand or large companies will not enjoy services of Norfolk company or its successor, only physical entities will benefit", Ananyan said.
To note, on May 25 the National Security Service of Armenia stated that it revealed a criminal scheme in the framework of the fight against corruption and economic crimes. The large company Norfolk Consulting Ltd. maliciously avoided paying taxes, fees and other mandatory payments in especially large amounts. The Service found out that the representatives of the Norfolk Consulting LLC often did not declare and did not conduct properly through customs the goods imported into the republic, thereby underestimating the funds due to the state budget. In addition, the company created unequal competitive conditions for citizens who imported the same goods. The company did not pay about $ 7 million to the state budget, which is equal to 3.3 billion drams. On the fact a criminal case was initiated by the investigation department of the National Security Service. The general director of the Norfolk Consulting LLC Armen Unanian and three other responsible employees of the company were arrested on suspicion of committing a crime under the article 205, part 2 of the Criminal Code ("Evasion from payment of taxes, duties or other compulsory payments") and part 2 of Article 308 ("Abuse of official powers that entailed grave consequences through negligence") of the RA Criminal Code. Until recently, there 7-8 organizations have been operating in the republic that dealt not only with cargo transportation, but also with the registration of customs documents. By establishing "Norfolk Consulting" an attempt was made to distinguish these actions in order to facilitate customs procedures at the border for business entities. David Ananian called for considering the issue solely in the legal format. It should be noted that the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan (residence in the Shengavit administrative district) decided to arrest Simon Arakelyan, the head of the accounting department of Norfolk Consulting LLC and Tigran Zohrabyan, chief accountant of the company for 2 months. According to their lawyer Armen Andrikyan, the court satisfied petition of the preliminary investigation in respect of his defendants, choosing detention as a preventive measure.
However, the lawyer intends to appeal the decision of the court within 10 days. "My clients do not admit their guilt, it is not clear to us what they are accused of. "The decision of the court does not clarify for which action they are accused of committing crime, "the lawyer said.