The leader of "Prosperous Armenia" has been charged with new accusations.

A new charge has been brought against the arrested leader of the opposition party "Prosperous Armenia" Gagik Tsarukyan under articles on extortion and legalization of property obtained by criminal means. Two of Tsarukyan's business leaders have been arrested for two months.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Gagik Tsarukyan was suspected of tax evasion by the "Ararat" brandy factory. The defense called the case absurd, as Tsarukyan has transferred all his businesses to management since 2003, when he was elected to the National Assembly.

According to the investigation, in 2008 Tsarukyan met a businessman of Armenian descent from Lebanon. They agreed to start a business and in 2009 opened a company for selling gold jewelry, splitting the shares equally. Sedrak Arustamyan, the former general director of the "Multi Group" concern, who is also involved in this case, was appointed as the director. They are accused of extorting $2.5 million, News.am reported today.

The Lebanese entrepreneur also proposed to Tsarukyan to establish a drinking water factory in the Kotayk region. The leader of "Prosperous Armenia" was supposed to build the factory building, while his partner was to equip the production, but this was not done.

In 2010, according to investigators, Gagik Tsarukyan and Sedrak Arustamyan, under the threat of violence, demanded that the Lebanese businessman transfer his shares to Arustamyan. They also wanted to legalize the received shares, which investigators qualified as money laundering.

Based on the collected evidence, a public criminal case has been initiated against Gagik Tsarukyan and Sedrak Arustamyan on charges of extortion in a particularly large amount and legalization of property acquired by criminal means, in a particularly large amount - money laundering.

The former general director of the Multi Group concern, chairman of the board of directors of the company Sedrak Arustamyan, and the director of Multi Transport Arthur Dallakyan have been arrested for two months, reports "News Armenia" citing the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

According to the agency, the Main Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes and Smuggling is investigating the circumstances of the alleged embezzlement of property and funds worth over 8.12 billion drams (about $22 million) by the president of Multi Group, leader of the opposition party "Prosperous Armenia" Gagik Tsarukyan, and other individuals, as well as their alleged money laundering.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that Tsarukyan's party "Prosperous Armenia" along with other opposition political parties previously issued a statement about the illegitimacy of the authorities and plans to seek their removal.