Dec

6

Top of the News, Thursday: Pro-opposition tycoon to sue media for airing discrediting reports

Filed Under ArmeniaNow Weekly 

Top of the News, Thursday: Pro-opposition tycoon to sue media for airing discrediting reportsA wealthy businessman openly supporting Armenia’s ex-president has accused two television companies of damaging his business reputation and said he would take them to court over extensive damage caused to his enterprises.

MP Khachatur Sukiasyan on Wednesday stated his claims to the news programs of Armenian Public Television and the private Kentron TV company after the two aired reports he views as discrediting for the bank in which he is a major stakeholder.

Saribek Sukiasyan
It was mentioned in the video material that “a company created with consent between the Silvia publishing house that belongs to the Sukiasyan family and two employees of the State Tax Service, and on their initiative, had sent false invoices to the publishing house against which the sums transferred by the publishing house to that company “later were cashed through Hayeconombank that also belongs to the Sukiasyan family; thus false transactions worth a total of 720 million drams (about $2.4 million) were carried out.”

Two weeks ago, an extensive report was aired on Bjni and Noy spring waters as part of the “02” police news on Public Television alleging that the waters do not correspond to quality criteria, are bottled in non-hygienic conditions and that large sums of money had not been paid for water used by the plants.

“Through court we will demand that our good reputation should be restored, since those materials discredited the bank’s image, news based on lies was spread in an attempt to mislead the public,” Hayeconombank Board Chairman Saribek Sukiasyan told ArmeniaNow.

Pressures against the businesses run by the family of Sukiasyan continue unabated since he first declared his support for first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s election bid.

Sukiasyan, whose businesses had been subjected to intensive tax inspections last month, describes the actions against him and his companies as “state terror”.

According to Sukiasyan, as a result of the published news the bank incurred damage estimated at about 400 million drams (nearly $1.3 million). “This damage can still double, as such baseless and discrediting news can affect the bank’s image and its impact will stay for years,” Saribek Sukiasyan says.

The Bjni mineral waters plant also incurred serious damage. According to SIL Concern public relations officer Anna Mkrtchyan, the damage caused by the video material is still being evaluated and they cannot talk about specific figures yet. But she added that only during the first week of the tax inspections they incurred a loss of about 45 million drams (approx. $147,000).

Traders of the Ayrarat fair also claim to be the target of what they perceive to be a crackdown against Sukiasyan for his political views.

Traders who staged a protest near the government building early this week said “they were also affected by the persecutions against the Sukiasyan family.”

They mainly protested about a tighter tax grip forcing them to pay income tax on top of the fixed tax.

“There is no such financial crackdown at any trade fair and it is obviously done against Sukiasyan. They’re introducing tax innovation to take revenge on one person,” one trader, Gayane Avetisyan, said.

By Gayane Abrahamyan
Source: http://www.armenianow.com

Permanent link:  http://www.armpress.com/armenianow/2007/12/06/678/

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