Garik Boshyan Appointed Manager of Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory
Yerevan, August 3 – Garik Boshyan has been appointed as the manager of the Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory. The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy of Armenia, Gevorg Papoyan, on his Facebook page.
Minister Papoyan reminded the public that the company’s shares were transferred to the management and custody of the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Ministry of Economy, following a motion by the Prosecutor General’s Office and a decision by the Anti-Corruption Court.
It is worth noting that in 2021, Garik Boshyan was appointed as the head of the Department of Affairs Management of the Prime Minister’s Office of Armenia.
Background to the Appointment
This development comes amidst an ongoing situation surrounding Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the “Prosperous Armenia” party and a prominent businessman. On July 6, Tsarukyan was arrested and taken to the Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud and money laundering on a particularly large scale.
According to the investigation, between 2022 and 2024, a group led by Tsarukyan allegedly established joint legal entities with the participation of Iranian citizens, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties between Armenia and Iran. This was reportedly followed by a fraudulent scheme that caused damages exceeding $21 million. Additionally, Gagik Tsarukyan faces another charge for illegal hunting. On July 7, the court granted the prosecution’s motion to detain Tsarukyan for two months.
In connection with the case, law enforcement agencies conducted searches at more than 70 addresses linked to Tsarukyan on July 6. Subsequently, the doors of all these enterprises were sealed. Since then, employees of these companies have been holding protests, demanding that their labor rights be ensured.
A few days prior, Hamlet Nazaryan, Head of the Department for Discussion, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Citizen Feedback at the Prime Minister’s Office, met with protesting employees for the first time. He listened to their complaints and demands regarding the reopening of the enterprises, payment of wages, and freezing of loan obligations, considering that people have been deprived of their earnings. While he did not provide a specific timeline, as stated by the employees of the enterprises at the time, he promised that the issue would be presented to senior management.
The appointment of Garik Boshyan is seen as a step towards stabilizing the operations of the Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory amidst these legal proceedings and the ongoing concerns of its employees.
