Armenia's main bailiff resigns over 'Panama documents' scandal
YEREVAN. April 18 (Interfax) - Major-General Migran Pogosyan, the head of the Judicial Acts Enforcement Service of the Armenian Justice Ministry, on Monday filed his resignation due to reports of his involvement in the scandal surrounding the so-called Panama documents.
"The Armenian and foreign media have started mentioning my name in publications on Panama offshores. I regret that my name is mentioned with the name of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, who indeed stole billions of dollars. I believe it is unacceptable that my name has become the reason for drawing some parallels between my country and authoritarian Azerbaijan. For that reason, I have filed my resignation today," Pogosyan was quoted as saying by the Judicial Acts Enforcement Service.
He also said he will comment on publications on his involvement in the offshore scandal, but "already as an ordinary citizen."
In early April, Hossein Samiei, the head of the IMF mission to Armenia, called on the republic's administration to investigate Pogosyan's involvement in the scandal with the so-called Panama documents.
The documents published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
(ICIJ) also mention companies owned by the head of the Armenian Judicial Acts Enforcement Service. According to the Armenian website Hetq.am, which engages in journalistic investigations, Pogosyan is a shareholder of three companies registered in Panama: Sigtem Real Estates Incorporated, Hopkinten Trading Incorporated, and Bangio Invest S.A.
Armenian parliamentarian Levon Zurabyan earlier called for an investigation into a report on Pogosyan's connection with the offshore scandal.
The republic's Justice Minister Arpine Hovannisyan earlier said changes and amendments to some Armenian laws are planned, which will establish liability for incorrectly filling out tax declarations and hiding incomes.
The name of the Armenian Justice Ministry's Judicial Acts Enforcement Service is connected in the republic to monopoly rights to the import of exotic fruit, import of cars, commercial parking lots in Yerevan and supermarkets.
According to earlier reports, the world's largest media outlets have obtained millions of documents stating that the Panama-based company Mossack Fonseca regularly helped its clients launder money, avoid sanctions and evade taxes. The documents contain references to 72 current or former heads of state.