RA Defense Minister purchased apartment with mortgage loan: MP from  ruling party

ArmInfo.RA Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan purchased an apartment with a mortgage loan from one  of the country's commercial banks. Heriknaz Tigranyan, MP from the ruling "Civil Contract" faction, stated on March 2 at a briefing in  the RA National Assembly.

Answering a journalist's question about whether there were any  manifestations of corruption in the fact that the head of the  republic's defense department purchased an apartment at a price of  $168,000 with its market value of $412,000, Tigranyan noted that it  is still necessary to clarify the market value of the apartment.   Taking into account the fact that officials are obliged to declare  their income and assets, it will be possible to conduct a study.

As for suspicions of corruption risks, as Tigranyan noted, any  person, whether natural or legal, has the right to apply to human  rights organizations or anti-corruption organizations, including the  Anti-Corruption Commission, which have the leverage to investigate  these manifestations.

It should be noted that recently, news about the purchase of  expensive real estate by government officials has been published  quite often in the local mass media. According to hetk.am, the sale  and purchase of the Defense Minister's apartment took place in the  summer of 2022, and it was financed by Armeconombank. The building in  which the apartment bought by the minister is located is being built  by the company of the former MP, who now enjoys the support of the  authorities, Ashot Arsenyan. Suren Papikyan and his wife Armine  Muradyan bought an apartment in the new "Byurekh" residential  complex, which is being built in Yerevan at 18/4 Arshakunyats Avenue.  The building is already completely ready, now work is underway on its  cladding and interior decoration.

Meanwhile, according to Daniel Ioannisyan, program coordinator of the  Union of Informed Citizens NGO, Suren Papikyan first secured the  entry of the local Jermuk oligarchy (Jermuk Group) into the Civil  Contract party. Then Suren Papikyan ensured that the son of the owner  of the "Jermuk Group" was nominated by the "Civil Contract" party as  a candidate in the local elections and used various levers to ensure  an uncompetitive victory. And then Suren Papikyan receives 100  million drams as a "gift" from the owner of "Jermuk Group" in the  form of a discount on an apartment.

It should also be reminded that earlier CivilNet reported that at the  end of last year, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan purchased a  luxurious mansion in the village of Kasakh. Ararat Mirzoyan and his  wife Gohar Abajyan purchased a house in December 2022 worth 112  million drams. According to the documents, the total area of the plot  is 951 sq.m., the house -288 sq.m., there is also a garage - 61 sq.m.   and adjacent building - 81 sq.m.