PanARMENIAN.Net - About an hour earlier, he defended the Armenian Apostolic Church, saying he stands with it and the people.

Businessman Samvel Karapetyan left his villa around 3am on June18, departing with law enforcement officers. Before leaving, he addressed his supporters, who had been waiting outside the house for hours, urging them: "don't forget, you'll teach them a lesson," reports Azatutyun.

Several hours earlier, Karapetyan issued a statement in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church:

"I stand with our church, with our people. No matter how much they try to smear it, I don't give a damn about their network... I couldn't care less about them or their network. Everything will be fine, the people will speak as one, and they'll realize they were wrong."

His status is currently unknown. He was accompanied by Deputy Police Chief Vardan Vardanian, who did not respond to journalists' questions.

Agents from the National Security Service conducted a prolonged search of the villa belonging to Russia-based businessman and owner of Tashir Group, Samvel Karapetyan.

About an hour earlier near the Mother See, the Tashir Group head released a statement defending the Armenian Church: "I have always been beside the Armenian Church and the Armenian people. If politicians fail, we will intervene ourselves against the campaign on the Church."

In response to Karapetyan's remarks, roughly one hour later Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan harshly stated: "Why have these morally bankrupt 'clergy' and their morally bankrupt 'philanthropists' become more active? Don't worry-we will teach them a lesson again. Permanently."

Source: PanArmenian.Net