Armenian Court to Seize Real Estate and Funds from Former Customs Official

The Department for Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin, operating under Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office, has filed a new lawsuit aimed at recovering unexplained wealth. The country's Anti-Corruption Court has officially accepted the case for proceedings.

The Official's Background and State Demands

Prosecutors are demanding the confiscation of assets in favor of the Republic of Armenia from Asatur Sahakyan and his affiliated individuals. Sahakyan previously served as the head of the Gugark regional division within the Anti-Smuggling and Double Customs Control Department of the State Revenue Committee (SRC), Armenia's tax and customs authority.

Assets Targeted for Confiscation

According to the published data, the list of assets targeted for state seizure includes:

• 2 real estate properties located in the capital, Yerevan;
• 183 million 561 thousand drams representing the remaining balance of illicit funds;
• An additional 10 million 566 thousand drams, the origin of which cannot be justified by lawful income.

The Prosecutor's Office noted that this latter sum of illicit origin has either been transferred to a bona fide purchaser or is currently impossible to identify and confiscate directly.

Clarifying the Financial Figures

Local media reports have presented a slight discrepancy in the total amounts mentioned. For instance, the news outlet Aysor.am mentioned the confiscation of approximately 194 million drams in its headline, while News.am highlighted the 183 million figure. This difference is easily explained by the details of the case: the sum of 183 million 561 thousand and 10 million 566 thousand drams equals approximately 194 million drams.