Republican MPs on offshore scandal
"The names of the prime minister and Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan were used for commercial purposes," says Republican MP Manvel Badeyan. "This is like stealing a brand, this is theft."
The MPs believe that in his letter businessman Ashot Sukiasyan admitted his guilt that he had used the reputation of the prime minister and archbishop in order to open an offshore company.
Badeyan says Tigran Sargsyan is a moral man and excludes ‘such dark, mysterious and fraudulent transactions' by him.
Hovhannes Sahakyan, another Republican MP, says he did not believe any of the words of the letter. "Nonsense, you cannot insure your business under the names of other people since the same prime minister, Archbishop Kjoyan and other people may have the same surnames. But if he [Sukiasyan] wrote their positions, it would be another matter of discussion," he said.
Republican Alexan Petrosyan holds a different opinion of the occurrence. He says it never occurred to him to start business outside Armenia as he believes that he can store the same money in Armenian banks.
"If you have money you can put it in bank in Armenia as rates are higher here than in the offshore zone," he said.
