Anti-Corruption National Initiative
ANTI-CORRUPTIONNATIONALINITIATIVE

Alen Simonyan’s Name at the Center of a Scandal Over Possible Money Laundering

In recent days, a publication by the daily newspaper Hraparak has become a subject of extensive discussion behind the political scenes. According to the publication, a high-ranking representative of the authorities contacted Armenian criminal circles in Los Angeles in order to clarify the possibilities of legalizing large sums of money. According to the publication, this concerns the transfer of large amounts of funds from Armenia to the United States and their subsequent “legalization,” which in legal terms is classified as money laundering.

According to the newspaper’s information, the intermediary contact was made in advance, with the aim of laying the groundwork for future financial transactions. Notably, according to the source, even representatives of the Armenian criminal circles in the United States were unaware of the actual origin of these funds, which raises additional questions about the nature of the possible transaction.

Later, the “Bolola” Telegram channel claimed that the official alluded to in the publication was National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan. This information has not been officially confirmed, but the circulation of such an allegation in itself is a serious blow to the authorities’ anti-corruption agenda, particularly under circumstances in which the current authorities have spent years declaring a fight against the shadow economy and illicit enrichment.

Regardless of how much these reports are ultimately substantiated, the public is rightfully awaiting clarification. If the published information does not correspond to reality, it should be immediately denied with facts. And if there are indications of such transactions, law enforcement agencies are obliged to examine them, regardless of the positions held by the persons involved.

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Hetq: The 300,000-Dram “Opel” Leased for 1.99 Million Drams a Year: An Intriguing State Procurement Story Involving the Brother of Civil Contract MP Karen Hambardzumyan

In the picture on the left is Karen Hambardzumyan, a former Prosperous Armenia Party member, now a Civil Contract member, formerly Governor of Syunik Province and currently a Civil Contract MP. In the picture on the right is his brother, Tigran Hambardzumyan. In 2025, the latter purchased a 1998 Opel vehicle for 300,000 drams and leased it to the “Sisian Territorial Pedagogical-Psychological Support Center” SNCO for 1,990,000 drams per year.

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The Tsaghkadzor Sports Complex in the Hands of the Zakaryan Family: Hetq’s Investigation

Hetq’s investigation reconstructs the path by which Tsaghkadzor’s main sports complex passed from the state into the hands of Ishkhan Zakaryan’s family.

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“You for Us, Us for You”: Is the State Budget the Ruling Party’s Pocket?

While ordinary citizens are under a heavy tax burden, and many businesses struggle to survive under conditions of market competition, the government has opened the “doors” of the state budget for the “chosen.” An investigation by Infocom.am reveals one of the darkest corners of Armenia’s political-business system: businesses exempted from customs duties express their “gratitude” to the ruling “Civil Contract” (CP) party and the “My Step” Foundation headed by the Prime Minister’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, in the form of multi-million-dram donations.

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The Overthrow of the Constitutional Order in Armenia: How Pashinyan’s Government Usurped the Judicial and Legislative Branches

The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia places the principle of separation and balancing of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches at the foundation of the exercise of state power. Article 5 of the Constitution formulates the structure of government in precisely these terms, while Article 162 establishes that justice is administered only by courts, and any interference in the administration of justice is prohibited.

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“Just Business?” Narek Nalbandyan’s Interview Raises New Questions

Nalbandyan has tried to present the expansion of his business as the result exclusively of economic calculations—bank financing, investments, acquisition of troubled assets, auctions, and market risk. He has denied the existence of any personal, family, or business ties with Nikol Pashinyan and his family. However, when the conversation reaches the most sensitive questions—the purchase price of HrazdanCement, the course of the auctions, former employees’ unpaid wages, and possible ties with the authorities—the same pattern can be observed in the answers: a specific question is followed by a general formulation, while the essence of the issue is shifted into the realm of documents, procedures, or general economic logic.

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