The family of former Armenian Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan has launched a new fish farm in Ghazaravan, a village in Armenia’s Aragatzotn Province.

Torosyan’s father is one of the shareholders of Fish Farm Management, but the business is locally called "Arsen Torosyan's fish farm".

Fish Farm Management was established in May 2021 by Shavarsh Grigoryan and his wife Edita Guroglyan.

Grigoryan held the position of Deputy Minister of Health when Arsen Torosyan served as a minister. Grigoryan was fired from the post in December 2020. He then served as an adviser to the president of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee from October 2021 until April 2022.

Before being appointed deputy minister, Shavarsh Grigoryan was the acting director of the Office for the Implementation of Health Care Programs, and also held the position of director of the Sevan Mental Health Care Center. He was also the assistant of former Minister of Health Levon Altunyan.

Since October 19, 2021, 80% of the company's share belongs to Arsen Torosyan's father, Gevorg Torosyan. Sargis Tadevosyan, father of Razmik Tadevosyan (an advisor to the Aragatzotn Governor) owns the other 20%. Sargis Tadevosyan also serves as the director of Fish Farm Management.

Of note is when Arsen Torosyan was the Minister of Health (2018-2021), Razmik Tadevosyan was his chauffeur. He then became Torosyan's assistant when the latter was elected to the National Assembly on June 20, 2021.

According to Armenia’s Cadastre Committee, Sargis Tadevosyan owns the land on which the fish farm operates. Fish Farm Management leased 217 square meters of industrial land and nine water basins from him.

Arsen Torosyan's family is expanding its holdings in Aragatzotn Province via the members of the governor's adviser's family. On October 20, 2021, a day after his father Gevorg Torosyan and Sargis Tadevosyan became shareholders in Fish Farm Management, Arsen Torosyan bought two units of land in the village of Parpi.  

Torosyan bought the land from Anna Tadevosyan, wife of the family's new business partner, Sargis Tadevosyan, paying 3.7 million and 1.3 million drams respectively.

Sargis Tadevosyan is from Parpi. Aragatzotn Governor Sergey Movsisyan is also from Parpi. Sargis Tadevosyan's son and nephew, 27-year-old Galust Tadevosyan, are employed at the provincial governor’s office. Galust heads the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.

Fish Farm Management LLC received a three -year water use permit for fish farming in 2022.  

In addition to the land bought in Parpi, Arsen Torosyan also bought two units of land in Karashamb, a village in Kotayk Province. He paid 2.7 million drams to former Karashamb Mayor Zorik Khlghatyan for the plot.

Khlghatyan is now the director of the Karashamb public school.

Arsen Torosyan purchased the other plot, worth 12.3 million drams, from Zorik Khlghatyan's nephew.

In September 2020, Arsen Torosyan and his wife paid 13.7 million drams for a plot of land in Tzaghkadzor.

 Income, money...

According to Arsen Torosyan’s 2021 financial disclosure, his income amounted to some 28.420 million drams and 20,737 euros. 

9.5 million drams was in the form of a gift from his father Gevorg. monetary incomes. The euro income came from Bank Austria.

Torosyan also declared 12.464 million AMD, US$20,000, and €31,000 in bank deposits.

In 2021, he paid 17.750 million drams for a 2017 BMW that he sold the same year for 16.4 million drams. 

Torosyan and his wife own a private house in Yerevan’s Nor Nork administrative district of Yerevan.

Arsen Torosyan's family businesses

Apart from fish farming, Arsen Torosyan's family owns other businesses.

MIBS LLC, a medical center, was founded in 2011. Vardanush Tevanyan, Arsen’s wife, owns 10%. The other shareholders are Russian citizens.

Torosyan served as company director until 2018, when Nikol Pashinyan swept to power in Armenia. Torosyan stepped down as director to assume the post of health minister. His wife now serves as MIBS director.

Torosyan’s family has had other business dealings with Russian citizens. 

 In 2011, Torosyan founded Tickets Realty Group, a tourist agency, with Begemot Avia LLC, registered in St. Petersburg. Armenian tax records show the company has temporarily ceased operations.

Arsen Torosyan's wife, Vardanush Tevanyan, is the director of "Tickets Realty Group" LLC, which carries out tourist activities. According to data of the tax authority, the company's activities are suspended.

Arsen Torosyan's father Gevorg owns 10% of Hydroscope LLC, a company that designs and reviews hydrotechnical structures, water supply and sewage systems. (The company has temporarily ceased operations.)

Gevorg Torosyan worked as a geology specialist at the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources. According to information published in the press, in 2021, he started working at the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center of the Ministry of Environment.

Hetq contacted the Center to clarify whether Gevorg Torosyan works there. A receptionist at the office of Acting Director Levon Azizyan wanted to know what Hetq planned to publish and then requested we forward our inquiries in writing.

Fish farm photos by Saro Baghdasaryan

Shavarsh Grigoryan's photo courtesy of Hraparak