Senior Armenian tax official killed in car blast

Shahen Hovasapian, head of a State Taxation Service (STS) division tasked with combating tax fraud, was found in a critical condition in his government-owned car after it was rocked by the blast just 50 meters from his apartment building. He died while being rushed to hospital, police and other security officials at the scene told RFE/RL.

They said that an explosive device planted under a front seat occupied by Hovasapian went off just seconds after he and his teenage son were driven away from their home. They said the driver suffered minor injuries, while the young man survived unscathed.

The blast left a gaping hole under the front seat next to the driver's, suggesting that Hovasapian was its main target. State prosecutors immediately launched a criminal investigation into the apparent assassination but reported no arrests in the following hours. Law-enforcement officials refused to come up with possible theories of the crime, which is bound to be linked with Hovasapian's professional activities.

Despite holding an important government post, Hovasapian has rarely figured in the news and is not known to have initiated high-profile tax evasion cases against big companies controlled by influential individuals. The assassinated official himself was a wealthy businessman, reportedly owning one of Armenia's two main liquefied gas companies, Goshgaz. The other company involved in the lucrative gas business, Multi-Leon, is controlled by Gagik Tsarukian, a powerful government-connected tycoon.