How Armenian Catholicos Embezzle State Budget Through Candle Business

(MENAFN- AzerNews)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Crimes such as blackmail, sabotage, and embezzlement within thestate can be carried out not only by state structures and politicalinstitutions but also by churches and religious institutions inArmenia. Just like today, the churches in the country, especiallythe Archbishop and his supporters, are trying to create tensions onthe eve of the Armenian government leaning towards peace.

This means that the above-mentioned institutions are engaged inexecuting the orders of external opposition forces, as well asinterfering in state affairs. Meanwhile, the Armenian ApostolicChurch became known for its various activities. The church, whichwants to strengthen its financial base, had to resort to sometricky ways.

Although it sounds strange, when it comes to the essence of thematter, it is clear that a large amount of funds have beenembezzled from the state budget. It is about the candle business ofthe church which Catholicos Karekin II thinks as a base for raisinga fund against the government.

For a long time, there has been an opinion among people that theMother See of Holy Etchmiadzin earns large sums from the sale ofcandles, which are not taxed, while the candle business is aserious resource for money laundering.

Since 2018, the current authorities have offered the churchvarious mechanisms by which it would be possible to keep taxrecords of the sale of candles, while the state wouldsimultaneously help the church so that this would not affect itsnormal activities. The purpose of the state proposal was nottaxation itself, but the prevention of shadow activities and thefight against money laundering. The Church repeatedly discussedthese proposals with the government, and each time rejected them suddenly, the church stopped worrying about this.

Armenian social media sources report that for a long time, theimport of candles to Armenia was registered as the import ofcharity, which was sanctioned by the government. However, recentlyCatholicos Karekin II has come up with an interesting mechanism bywhich one can "cheat" the state through his brother. Through thismechanism, Archbishop Ezras began to import candles from Russia toArmenia and formalize it as a donation to the church. In this case,it is recorded that the candles were allegedly already taxed in theterritory of the EAEU member country and, therefore, are notsubject to taxation in Armenia.

The Armenian social media also writes that it is no coincidencethat archbishops from Karekin II's entourage often voice the ideathat the state is not eternal, and the church needs to bestrengthened. Their actions over the past weeks most likely serveprecisely this purpose: in Armenia, there should be not a state,but a religious community of the Armenian Apostolic Church, andthey are the leaders of the community!

Thus, opposing forces against the incumbent government inYerevan appeared neither in the parliament nor among politicalparties. The forces trying to break the pillars of the state arehiding in the church...

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