YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The Spandarian district court hearings against the ArmenTel company for a claim that was filed by the Anglia Consulting (AC) company against the communications company demanding a $100,000 compensation for violation of contractual agreemen’s.
The counsel for the plaintiff–former justice minister Vahe Stepanian reported that under the agreement that was signed by the two companies on April 1 1998–ArmenTel was to pay a $17,000 monthly fee to Anglia Consulting for consultation and managerial services.
AC fulfilled its obligations–but ArmenTel did not pay for the services–claimed Stepanian–saying that the American firm had no representation in Armenia. But following the registration of AC in Armenia the management of ArmenTel allegedly said that the agreement was null and void.
The head of ArmenTel’s legal department Armen Yeghiazarian reported that the agreement was signed by Garegin Movsissian–who was not authorized to do sign such a contract. Yeghiazarian did not specify who Garegin Movsissian was–saying that the issue would be clarified during the trial.
During a news conference at ArmenTel headquarters on May 2–Movsissian appeared as executive director.
At the beginning of litigation–ArmenTel filed a counter-claim invalidating the aforementioned agreement–since at the time of signing AC had no official registered representation in Armenia. The claim also contained a demand for recovering 3,000,000 drams (about $6,000) ArmenTel paid to the AC representative Steve Walker for his trip to the US.
Yeghiazarian reported that ArmenTel signed a labor contract with Steve Walker which stipulated that ArmenTel cover expenses of the Walker’s business trip to the US. However–it was not clear why AC brought the suit against ArmenTel.
Yeghiazarian did not deny that Walker was vice-president of ArmenTel before the company was bought by the Greek OTE firm. At the same time–Stepanian said that ArmenTel covered another representative of the AC company–Robert Green’s travel expenses–but the claim contained nothing about that agreement.
Since the counter-claim was not filed in due time and certain inaccuracies were noted in the case–presiding judge Elizaveta Danielian decided to postpone the court date until October 21.