Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday the arrest of four persons accused of stealing Russian diamonds and supplying them to an Armenian diamond-cutting company. The FSB described Sukiasian as a “beneficiary” of the company called ADM Diamonds. He swiftly denied any links to the company.
Citing anonymous diplomatic sources, an Armenian news website, 24news.am, claimed on Tuesday that Sukiasian has been banned from entering Russia because of the affair. The report has not been confirmed or denied by Moscow.
Sukiasian’s spokeswoman, Anna Mkrtchian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that she has “no information” about such a ban. She noted that the tycoon has not visited Russia in a while.
Mkrtchian earlier linked the FSB claims to “false” reports that Sukiasian is helping Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government seize Armenia’s national electric utility from Samvel Karapetian, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who was arrested on June 18 after strongly criticizing the premier.
Karapetian is believed to have long had a warm rapport with the Kremlin. Not surprisingly, some Russian officials have expressed concern about his arrest condemned by the Armenian opposition as politically motivated.
Sukiasian, 63, is a member of the Armenian parliament representing Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. He and his extended family have significantly expanded their business interests since Pashinian came to power in 2018 not least because of lucrative government contracts won by their firms.