The US Department of Justice initiated the process of confiscating the mansion with an area of more than 30 thousand square feet in the Holmby Hills area in Los Angeles, acquired by the family of the former head of the State Revenue Committee, the ex-Minister of Finance of Armenia Gagik Khachatryan, the Armenian media write with reference to the American department.
The US Ministry of Justice’s press service reports that the reason for confiscation is a civil complaint about confiscation, which claims that the mansion was purchased for bribes paid by the Armenian businessman Gagik Khachatryan.
“66-year-old Khachatryan, known as” Super ministers “because of his significant powers, served as chairman of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia from 2008 to 2014 and the Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2016. In the complaint, which was filed in the district The US court in the Central District of California states that businessman Sedrak Arustamyan paid Khachatryan and his family more than $ 20 million bribes in exchange for a favorable tax regime for his business. The bribes were allegedly used to buy real estate Holmby Hills, which was recently put up for sale 63.5 million dollars, ”the report said.
Gagik Khachatryan and his sons are accused of Armenia of receiving bribes in violation of the Criminal Code. In Armenia, a criminal case has also been instituted against Arustamyan for giving bribes.
It is reported that the issue was investigated by the Eurasian target group of the FBI for organized crime (EOctF) and the US Marshals service. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Armenian National Security Service provided important assistance.