The ex-ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican, Mikael Minasyan, recently announced that a whole plane of smuggled cigarettes has been supposedly taken out of Armenia to Afghanistan, but sales in Russia were envisaged, said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
His remarks came during his Saturday big press conference.
“I want to say that the State Revenue Committee has not committed any lawlessness on the issue of exporting cigarettes, as exporters are the culprits. They should have taken everything to another country, but decided to sell it in another state,” said Pashinyan.
At the same time, the PM did not comment on the words of Minasyan that this smuggling scheme was managed by members of PM's family, including his wife’s brother, My Step ruling bloc MP Hrachya Hakobyan.
“I am aware of the episode concerning my wife’s brother, Hrachya filed a lawsuit. And I will not answer this question, everything will be presented publicly: what is true and what is not,” the PM noted.