The US Justice Department has announced that the California Federal Government has begun the process of forfeiture of a mega mansion belonging to Gagik Khachatryan, the former Minister of Finance and former Chairman of the State Revenue Committee. The United States has demanded the forfeiture of a 30,000-square-foot (more than 2,878-square-foot) mega-mansion in the Holmes Hills area of Los Angeles, following a civil forfeiture lawsuit alleging that the mansion was bought by an Armenian businessman with the bribe paid to the family of Gagik Khachatryan, a former high-ranking official of Armenia, Voice of America reports.
According to the report, 66-year-old Gagik Khachatryan, who was known as the “Super Minister,” because of his significant responsibilities, served as Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia from 2008 to 2014 and as Minister of Finance for the Republic of Armenia from 2014 to 2016. In a lawsuit filed in the Central District of California on Monday, the United States claims that businessman Sedrak Arustamyan bribed Khachatryan and his family with more than $ 20 million in exchange for favorable tax conditions for his business. The bribe payments were allegedly used to buy the property at Holby Hills, which was recently put up for sale for $ 63.5 million.
Gagik Khachatryan and his sons have been charged with taking bribes in Armenia, according to the US Justice Department. A criminal case has also been initiated against Arustamyan in Armenia for giving a bribe.
The matter was investigated by the FBI’s Eurasian Organized Crime Group (EOCTF) and the US Marshall Service. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Armenia and the National Security Service provided great assistance. According to the US Justice Department, the EOCTF is made up of a number of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Glendale Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
