New details of the incident with the Director of “Air Armenia”
An investigation is underway regarding the kidnapping of the Director of “Air Armenia” company, Arsen Avetisyan, and his beating, which is carried out at the Nor Nork Police Department.
Avetisyan’s wife, Isabella Melkumyan, accuses President of Armenia’s Football Federation, Ruben Hayrapetyan, of the violence perpetrated against her husband.
While the police will detect something, “Aravot” was reported interesting information. Our source, who wished to stay anonymous for obvious reasons, knew Arsen Avetisyan and Ruben Hayrapetyan very well. He is in good business relations with both of them.
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As reported by our source, when Avetisyan and Hayrapetyan were talking at the café in the neighborhood of the Academy (near “Harsnakar” restaurant) belonging to the Football Federation, Avetisyan was quite irritated, even swearing, was constantly jumping from the seat and shaking his hand to Ruben Hayrapetyan was talking outraged. Hayrapetyan’s bodyguards once warned Avetisyan to relax, but when Avetisyan has continued the same actions and ready to attack first, Hayrapetyan’s bodyguards punched in the face of Avetisyan.
Note that Avetisyan’s wife, Isabella Melkumyan, has announced that Hayrapetyan’s “people” have kidnaped her husband and deprived of liberty for 2 hours. Isabella Melkumyan has said that in the presence of 40 armed persons, Hayrapetyan had used pressure on her husband demanding to sign a note that allegedly Avetisyan owes money to Hayrapetyan.
After the alert calls from the media, Avetisyan was released. As a result of the beating, Avetisyan has received a nose bone fracture, with a slight shifts, and light bruises of hip and shoulder blade. The media circulates the hypothesis of the beating: Arsen Avetisyan’s kidnapping is due to current debts of “Air Armenia” company to “Taron-Avia” company whose owner, Garnik Papikyan, has turned to Hayrapetyan as a mediator to receive the debt.
As reported by our source, Avetisyan indeed had huge debts, he, of course, was leasing a “Boeing” airplane from “Taron-Avia”, for which the debt amounts to 2.5 million dollars, but he owes this debt not to “Taron-Avia” but the “Ala International” company founded by again Garnik Papikyan in UAE. Avetisyan could not get rid of the debts reaching billions of drams. There are 57 lawsuits filed against Avetisyan with the claim to receive the debt.
The “Air Armenia” company, whose 51% shareholder is Avetisyan, according to our source, owes 400 thousand dollars to “Avia Food” company belonging to NA MP Gagik Tsarukyan’s family, the debts are not small to the “Zvartnots” airport. We learn from “DataLex” that the company has debts to “HSBC bank”, “Ameria” banks, as well as to the “Converse” bank.
According to court information system, the “Air Armenia” has about 76.5 million debt to the company employees in the form of wages, it also owes 15.4 million drams to “Ingo Armenia”, “RIM AND AR”, “FM Times” LLC, “UMAX” LLC, “Armenian Bureau of Travel” LLC, “AQUILA TECHNICS” Ltd. For some of them, according to “DataLex”, it is decided to freeze the funds of the assets as a means of meeting the lawsuit.
“Air Armenia” was leasing two “Airbuses” from a Dutch company, which has demanded the airplanes back seeing that the Armenian side is unable to pay the leasing amount.
As reported by “Aravot” source, “Of course, regardless of the size of the debt, it is unacceptable to receive the debt back by beating the person, but we can assume that the story of this beating was advantageous for Arsen because he could bring an excuse for not paying the debt that recently, the East Prospect Fund that has debited 68 million dollars securities to the balance of “Air Armenia” on August 12, takes it back reasoning that the business environment in Armenia is not safe, the issues with the businessmen are resolved through underground, beatings and smashing.”
Note that the East Prospect Fund is registered in an offshore zone, in the Virgin Islands, and the investment of 68.6 million dollars securities can be disposed by “Air Armenia” by its necessity and purpose. The East Prospect Fund is the 49% shareowner of the “Air Armenia”.
According to our source, “Air Armenia” was accumulating huge debts, but its owner Arsen Avetisyan was building a luxury house in the Tsarav Aghbyur Street, driving a “Bentley” expensive car, and was not depriving him of any luxury, but anyway was doing some steps towards repayment of the debt. In particular, as reported by our source, Avetisyan owns lands in Ukraine and often travels to this country, allegedly trying to sell these lands, which would be used to cover some of the debts.
To the point, even if the company is declared bankrupt, there is still huge number of assets on its balance to cover 1/3rd of the debts. Just the company office with its assets and several vehicles.
“Aravot” tried to clarify from Avetisyan’s wife, Isabella Melkumyan, the information reached to us. Mrs. Melkumyan confirmed that the debt is not to “Taron-Avia” but the “Ala International”, however, she was not aware of the total size of the debt. “What has the debt to do, especially if the beating person Hayrapetyan has nothing to do to the debt?
As for the fact that my husband has provoked and used swear words, it is not so. My husband has told everything to me, they were sitting in a café and talking. Ruben Hayrapetyan has told, you owe me and my husband had told, I do not owe you, I owe to “Ala International”, I will transfer the money to them and you solve your issues with Garnik. Hayrapetyan has said, no, you do not understand well, you owe me, and my husband has said, I have no money to give to you. Then, Hayrapetyan has pulled my husband’s arm and the bodyguards have taken him to the side to beat, 8 people were kicking him. There are cameras, let them watch it and everything will be clear.”
As for the luxury house and the attempt of Avetisyan to “evade” the debts, Mrs. Melkumyan said, “The house is mortgaged to the “HSBC bank” debts if we fail to pay the debt, it will pass to the Bank. Everybody is trying to personalize, it is not personally Arsen’s debt, these are the debts of the company, of which no one denies. What has Hayrapetyan to do here?”
Does Avetisyan know Hayrapetyan personally? Mrs. Melkumyan said, no. “They do not know each other. The first time, Garnik Papikyan called my husband saying, I have passed the debt to Ruben Hayrapetyan, let’s go to talk. The first time they met 3 of them, and then they agreed to meet on August 15. That day, my husband has told Garnik, let’s go to the meeting together, Garnik has refused, probably he knew what would happen.”
As for Avetisyan’s having lands in Ukraine, Mrs. Avetisyan on hearing the question, made a deep sigh and said, “Where have we reached? I would like to know what direction you are leading the conversation.” To our response that we are just trying to find out the veracity of the rumors, she added, “Cursing, provoking and all the rest is a lie. My husband does not refuse and deny for having debts. They try to play a dirty trick on Arsen. Financial difficulties have created. This case has nothing to do with overall problems.”
As to how Avetisyan feels in health condition and why he does not personally talk to the media to give comprehensive answers to all the questions, Mrs. Melkumyan said, “The doctor has forbidden him to speak or to move, now he must be in bed immobile.”
Nelly BABAYAN,
“Aravot” daily
