On February 13 the court of Kentron and Nork-Marash upheld the request of the Armenian National Security Service to detain for two months the owner of the Metal Prince corporation, ex-adviser to the prime minister, ex-member of the Public Council of the Armenian Police, famous philanthropist and one of the richest people in Armenia, US citizen Serob Ter-Pogosyan.
The businessman was arrested on the 9th of Febeuary on suspicion of paedophilia and taken to the penitentiary. The arrest of Ter-Pogosyan has raised many questions, given his close relations with the authorities.
The scandal surrounding the person of Ter-Pogosyan erupted after an article was published on the Hetq.am site, which talked about rumors of blackmailing the owner of the Metal Prince corporation with a video recording for nearly half a year.
According to the chief editor of the Hetq.am, Edik Baghdasaryan, the police had known for a long time about the video recording, but were indecisive, knowing about the close relations of Ter-Pogosyan with the chief of the Armenian police and other senior officials. The journalist has mentioned already published evidence that Ter-Pogosyan had been illegally operating in the mining sector, did not pay taxes, and had been pouring the waste from the mines into the rivers. Bagdasarian was also ready to name Ter-Pogosyan’s 20 victims of child abuse.
Ter-Pogosyan, in his turn, has denied the accusations, saying that they are to be regarded as underhand plotting by his enemies trying to defame his good name and the reputation of his wife.
The merging of large-scale business, government and crime is not a secret to anyone in Armenia. Businessmen are taking part in many election campaigns at national or local levels, together with politicians and criminals of various calibers. So practically all high-ranking officials knew about the real face of the American philanthropist, who has found happiness in modest Akhtala. However, for some reason only now, before the 2012 elections, have the authorities decided to reveal the story to the public.David Stepanyan, Armenia. Exclusively for VK.
