Monday, January 29 2024 23:40

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.