Afət Ziyadqızı
Armenia’s State Revenue Committee has not conducted inspections at businesses owned by businessman Narek Nalbandyan following a statement by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the committee’s chairman, Eduard Hakobyan, made the statement during a briefing in parliament.
According to Hakobyan, the agency conducted its most recent tax inspections at Nalbandyan’s companies in the first half of this year.
He said the committee has the authority to inspect any business and that inspections had previously been conducted without exception at businesses linked to Nalbandyan.
Hakobyan said he did not remember precisely what violations had been identified during the inspections, but noted that both minor and serious deficiencies had been recorded.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously said that Narek Nalbandyan had been affecting the nerves of him and his family.
He also strongly rejected claims that he had a “favorite businessman,” saying no such person existed.
Pashinyan expressed dissatisfaction that Nalbandyan had not denied reports about links between him and the prime minister’s family and instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter.
The prime minister said that if it was established that any entrepreneur was attempting to create the appearance of close ties with the prime minister’s family, there would be a strong response.
A criminal case was previously opened in connection with the operations of the “88” supermarket chain owned by Narek Nalbandyan.
Following the change of government in 2018, disputes over Nalbandyan’s acquisition of high-profile business assets and his possible links to the country’s top political leadership have kept his name in the public spotlight.
He first acquired the mansion of former parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, which had previously been seized, and later purchased the “Golden Palace” complex in Tsaghkadzor from Armen Avetisyan, the former head of Armenia’s State Customs Committee.
According to Armenian media reports, Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Pashinyan, is one of the co-owners of the “88” supermarket chain.
In recent days, Narek Nalbandyan also acquired “Hrazdan Cement,” one of the two largest cement plants in the country.
The developments have drawn attention to the relationship between political influence, business ownership and tax oversight in Armenia. Such inspections are generally used to assess compliance with tax and financial regulations, while criminal investigations are handled separately by law enforcement agencies.
