Employees of Tsarukyan's companies stage protests, claim raids disrupted operations

Employees of companies owned by detained businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan staged protests in Yerevan and Armenia's Kotayk Province on Saturday, saying investigative actions against the businesses have effectively brought their operations to a standstill.

Abraham Danaguezian, Executive Director of Euromotors CJSC, said investigators searched the company on Monday and seized three servers, computers and employees' personal mobile phones.

"Our operations have been brought to a halt because our servers were seized," Danaguzian said. "We can't place vehicle orders or carry out our day-to-day work."

He said 17 customer vehicles remain at the company's service center and cannot be returned because they have been placed under seizure. Among them is a vehicle belonging to the Chinese Embassy, he said.

Danaguezian said the company has always operated transparently and complied with its tax obligations, arguing investigators had no legal basis to disrupt its operations.

"As far as we can see, this is all happening for one reason — the owner is Gagik Tsarukyan," he said, adding that the investigation has also harmed the company's reputation with international partners.