CivilNet, anti-corruption watchdog launch legal action over ZCMC deals

CivilNet (the Civilitas Foundation) and the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center are taking a legal action against the Armenian government over the suspicious deals concerning the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) in September-October 2021, CivilNet reported on Tuesday.

On September 30, it was revealed that the Moscow-based Industrial Company, a GeoProMining Armenia subsidiary owned by Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, acquired 60% of the ZCMC shares and immediately granted 15 percent of that stake to the Armenian government.

Later in October and November, CivilNet applied to the Armenian government, asking it to provide a copy of the relevant donation agreement. However, the government rejected the request, reasoning that it contained “confidential information” and was thus a trade secret.

On December 16, the representatives of CivilNet and Transparency International, Genya Petrosyan, Elina Gyurjyan and Davit Gyurjyan, filed a lawsuit in the Administrative Court, asking the court to oblige the government to provide a copy of the donation agreement to them.

On December 23, judge Artsrun Mirzoyan of the Administrative Court decided to to accept the claim for proceedings and set a preliminary hearing in the case for May 3.

Earlier in in October, Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Project Director at the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, told Pastinfo that the deal to sell 60% of the shares to Roman Trotsenko was not transparent and no further clarifications were provided.