Georgia grants motion to extradite fugitive Armenian businessman
On June 3, 2014, Georgia's Justice Minister signed a decree to allow the extradition of fugitive Armenian businessman Ashot Sukiasian. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Armenia has assigned the Police Criminal Investigation Department under the RA Government to arrange the transfer of the entrepreneur. Ashot Sukiasian, who was wanted for a high-profile fraud case, was arrested at Tbilisi airport in January 2014. Armenia’s Office of Prosecutor General motioned its Georgian counterpart in February to extradite Sukiasian to Armenia. Armenian police issued a search warrant for Sukiasian last June and charged him with large-scale embezzlement and money laundering. Sukiasian is reportedly co-owner of an offshore company registered in Cyprus and shared in by Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Vicar of the Ararat diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Navasard Kchoyan.
