Denials Regarding Allegations of Ownership of “88”
Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (RA), responded with a public statement to the information linking her name to the “88” supermarket chain, calling the claims unsubstantiated. Hakobyan noted that her family has never used these stores, she has not visited any of the branches, and she does not intend to use their services in the near future.
The owner of the “88” supermarket chain is, in fact, businessman Narek Nalbandyan. In recent years, the latter has acquired a number of properties, including Hrayr Abrahamyan’s mansion, the “Golden Palace” hotel complex in Tsaghkadzor, as well as the “Shoghakan” diamond factory in Nor Hachn.
The rumors intensified particularly after the “88 group” began expanding its supermarket chain into several regions of Armenia, including Vayk, Stepanavan, Sardarapat, and other communities. A number of residents claim that the new stores are being acquired “coercively.” The management of “88,” responding to citizens’ complaints, stated that all new branches are opened only through official procedures:
“We are not carrying out deliberate actions against anyone. Our activities are transparent, and our partners can attest to this,” the clarification states.
Narek Nalbandyan, in one of his interviews, called the rumors that the Prime Minister’s wife is connected to the supermarkets “ridiculous.” According to him, he met with the Prime Minister only twice, in connection with the opening of production and hotel complexes, and these meetings were exclusively official.
Discussions and informational controversies surrounding the topic continue, while official sources maintain that the circulating rumors do not correspond to reality.