– Mrs. Hambardzumyan, on November 15 the special investigation service launched a criminal case against Surik Khachatryan under the 118th article of the criminal code based on your application. However, following the publication of that information the governor’s office of Syunik announced that the governor had not beaten any women. These days people speak in Syunik’s Goris city that this case will be shut down and the governor will not be punished as it happened several years ago, when information was disseminated, according to which the governor had beaten a teenager child in his office. Do you think this time it will be the same as last time?
– No, I don’t think so and I will struggle till the end. I don’t think the police will be mistaken and will make another decision.
– Why? Are these cases different?
– To be honest I did not know that the governor had beaten up a child and the case was shut down. I am a businesswoman, have rights established by the constitution and nobody has the right to beat me. My rights were violated. During the daytime, at Marriott hotel, where there were many people, they showed the real face of their country. That was a very unpleasant thing for me.
– According to our information, several days after the incident you received a call from Shirak region governor Ashot Giziryan, who asked you to resolve the conflict with the governor of Syunik. Is that true?
– To be honest Shirak’s governor did not call me, but I received a call from my relative, who had been told by Shirak’s governor to do so.
– Do you think that Syunik’s governor would act like that if instead of you he dealt with a prominent oligarch?
– No. As I am an unknown businesswomen in Armenia (but I was the first businesswoman here), I am not involved in politics and I am not backed by any political power, thus I am free. I have not stolen businesses from anyone in order to be recognized by people. All I have were bought and paid for. There are rumors in the Internet already that I am connected with political force and I am doing an order. If I was involved in politics, people would recognize me, but I don’t deal with politics.
– There are rumors that you have been offered to be a member of the Prosperous Armenia party. Have you refused that offer?
– I have not been invited by anyone and I am not going to be involved in politics. If I had a wish, I would join a party.
– The press reacted to the incident that happened at Marriott hotel very fast. They published information that the governor came in, hit you with his leg and your head with his hands. There are different opinions about the incident. What did really happen there?
– That day at 3:30 PM I had a meeting at Armenia Marriot Hotel, after that I was planning to be in “Yerkir Media” TV station for an interview on direct transmission. Before I left the hotel I met my friend in hotel lobby. We started to talk and then I told her I was late. Suddenly I heard somebody’s voice telling me «wait, don’t go». I would like to mention that Samvel Sargsyan MP was sitting around the front table with another person whom I don’t know. When the Governor rashly came in, passed the piano, greeted him, and noticing me -he turned to me and came close. I though the Governor was going to apologize for calling me insane, as few days back his friends telephoned me begging not to accuse on him. That is to say we were supposed to meet for finding a solution to the problem. Instead, he came to me and was trying to raise his leg, but his coat hindered him. My friend tried to interfere, but then he hit my head. I sobered up and remembered that he had been called away by S. Sargsyan. Later I also recalled that he was together with Khachik Manukyan MP and A. Ghularyan, Tavush Governor. Khachik Manukyan was standing a bit far. S. Sargsyan came to me and apologized on Governor’s behalf. In response to him, I replied that it is the Governor who has to apologize, and not him. This phenomenon is very unpleasant to me, because there were foreigners in the lobby as well. Further after I came to myself, I noticed that one of them is speaking something in English. Later on I came to realize that he was reporting the situation to the American Ambassador on telephone. Two days ago I had a call from the American Embassy as well as from some journalists. They wanted to me to describe the case, but I didn’t do that and said I would call them back. After the incident I was taken to former Vienna café. I was sitting with my friend when Suren Khachatryan came to us again. He was told to come and apologize but he didn’t do that, and started to speak. I left the place and returned to my previous sit. I was so nervous that I even don’t remember his words. After this A. Ghularyan went to him got his coat and took him away with him. They were likely to go to a birthday party. Later on I came to know that it was Kotayq Governor’s birthday. Everybody had already left, when my friend and I also did, and started to walk to home. One day after the incident I applied to law enforcing bodies.
– Since you are from Syunik too, did you know him before?
– Before the incident with my equipment I never knew the Governor before, and in general I am not in the habit of prying into other’s life. My issue with him was only about my equipment.
– In his conversation with us the Governor mentioned that he had obtained the equipment through documentation process, i.e. contract. How could that 102 million AMD equipment happen to be in the Governor’s mines?
– Yes, he has the contract, along with the list of the purchased equipment, which however did not include the mentioned one. The Governor has bought the 15 USD equipment in 240 million AMD only. He had purchased that equipment from the previous director of the company. When I was already in “Sipan 1” I found that some part of the purchased property is still in the company. I was keeping on saying him that and asking them to come and take that. Only after that they came and took that distributing machine, which was mentioned in the concluded contract. The distributing machine was never returned back to me.
– In your recent press conference you mentioned about Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan’s illegal actions, who had invalidated your company license. It seemed that the Minister had to respond on your serious claims. How would you explain the Minister’s silence?
– I cannot say, probably he is waiting for the events will develop. However, he has undoubtedly committed illegal actions. The Governor had reported about Lichqvaz-Tey mine to the Minster. When the Company was first deprived from license on 2009, they were thinking they would win the case, and considering the Minister never said anything in favor of them in the Court, neither he did it in other instances, and he never had his chance, the legal verdict was reached on July 30, 2010 and the Court of Appeal recognized the Minister’s order invalid. Right after two months the Minister again invalidated the same license, that is to say the verdict of the Court of Appeal was not considered.
– So, you haven’t received any phone call from him, have you?
– No.
– You stated after the press conference, that you have been in constant communication with the Minister. Will you put that in details?
– There was no hostility between me and the Minister, but Minister’s behavior is a mystery for me. I don’t know whose order he is fulfilling. When Armen Movsisyan used to be the head of Kapan electricity network bought certain products from his employees-aluminum scrap. I had no conflicts with him. When somebody offends me I don’t enter into conflict with them, I just leave.
– When did the regional governor start to show interest towards your company?
– The company was in international sales. If he wanted to buy it, he could freely do it. But the thing is, he just wanted to take it instead of buying. I bought the company, since it is in the Syunik region, where my father was born. I bought it for the people to work and the work started as soon as I bought the company. There were 80 employees, however used to state during his visits to Yerevan that there are no workers in the mine, and nothing is done.
– What conversation did you have with the regional governor?
– I met the regional governor, when I received a note from the investigator, according to which one of our machines was in the “Geghva Dzor” mine and that they had put a ban on the property and the regional governor could not sell it. In the spring of 2011 I met the regional governor in Armenia Marriott cafe.
– By the way, is it the governor who called you to arrange the meeting?
– The first time I was going to get into the car with my friends when the regional governor Surik Khachatryan approached and ask if I Silva could go with him. I said that Silva was me and approached to him. We met the same day. He said “I wanted to talk about the machine. I want you to know that you will not get it back. I will give you only 100.000 USD”. I told him that the machine cost 102 billion AMD, 25 billion out of which I had to pay to the state. He said “That’s pretty good. I will give you 100.000 USD you will give 25 billion AMD to the state and have 10 billion AMD income. I told her that I will have nothing about loss. The regional governor sad that he will have to think over his suggestion, if it was a suggestion at all. A few months later, in summer he called me to meet. I went to meet him with my lawyer. He invited me and my lawyer to dinner. I told him about my position once again and we left. I called the investigator and told him to speed up the process, since it could not go on like that. The investigator is from Kapan as well. By the way the main thing I spoke about during the press conference was the invalidation of the company’s license, but the journalists never spoke about that.
– You have made a sensational statement citing the words Serob Ter Petrosyan’s wife, Madlen Tashchyan that she has a lot to tell about 1999. Serob Ter-Petrosyan is the owner of Akhtala factory and accused in child abuse.
– Journalists like to make sensational statements. Since we were talking about the mines, I meant the Akhtala mine in 1999. I was talking about the mine, why should I have touched upon “October 27”? I was talking about the fact that Serob was granted mines in 1999. And Serob’s wife was talking about that.
– Madlen Tashchyan brought a case against you, demanding compensation of 1 luma. Are you going to give that 1 luma to her?
– I will meet Madlen in court with pleasure. When she sees me she will remember me. She now doesn’t know who she is dealing with because my hair was dark back then. The incident once again happened at Marriott Hotel. We have having coffee. And if I tell her in detail who were with us she will recall everything for sure. And then we will sign a peace treaty. Madlen was probably offended by the label “child molester” and when I tell the story of Serob in the court starting from the 90s she will remember it all. I can tell where everything came from, how he got here, asked from the States to work for an American organization in the 90s. He was bringing help here. Najaryan Foundation called and requested to give him job. Only then he got hired because he was fired. I will tell about Serob in detail. Back then Madlen was saying that Serob didn’t have anything. “Everything is registered on my name and my brother.” Madlen is rich not Serob.
– How would you explain the silence of the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan? He was also the chair of the auction committee jointly with you. And the bid was won by Sagamar company, the part of the shares of which belonged to Sargsyan’s adviser S. Ter-Poghosyan, who is accused of child molestation.
– During the organization of the auction Ter-Poghosyan was the advisor of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister helped because he wanted to have it. This is why I am so angry. My substance is the license and I don’t have any work problems with anyone. But I can’t stand this injustice. I only expect from these developments that the President of Armenia will become aware of the processes. The RA President is undertaking major reforms and I think he will pay a proper attention to these illegalities. Today my only hope is the President of Armenia.