Yesterday at Armenia-Marriott Hotel the governor of Syunik province Surik Khachatryan attacked and punched an Armenian businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan. A few days ago Silva Hambardzumyan announced during a press conference that S. Khachatryan stole equipment worth 102 billion dram from “Sipan 1” company, which belongs to her and now it is in the mine “Gehva Dzor” which belongs to the regional governor. After this announcement the regional governor threatened to bring the business woman to the court, however no action has been brought against Silva Hambardzumyan up to date. Silva Hambardzumyan alleged that Surik Khachatryan punched her in the head lodging a formal complaint with state prosecutors. Khachatryan denied that. The prosecutors’ investigating arm, the Special Investigative Service, opened a criminal case on the allegations. Later S. Hambardzumyan stated that NA deputies Khachik Manukyan and Samvel Sargsyan interfered as well, who were with him at that time. “Yes everybody tried to stop him. The owner of “Max Group” Khachik Manukyan, the owner of “Ararat Hyatt” Samvel Sargsyan and someone else, I don’t know him. You may ask the video records from the hotel,” said the business woman. To the question of one of the media representatives whether the regional governor of Syunik really hit Silva Hambardzumyan, the NA deputy Khachik Manukyan replied. “I came to the hotel later. I don’t know what happened. We tried to gain information from Surik Khachatryan as well, but he didn’t answer our phone calls. For its part, Marriott’s security service claimed that no violent incidents were witnessed by hotel staff or caught on surveillance cameras. “We have no cameras in that section,” a security guard from Marriott, said. Hambardzumyan insisted, however, that the hotel has video evidence of the alleged assault and warned the Marriott management against withholding it. And yesterday Hambardzumyan was planning to apply to the chief of police. “I think the President should find a quick solution to this issue. We shouldn’t stand the bandits. There were many guests. What will they think about the governor?” she said.
