The Investigative Committee claimed on Thursday that Tsarukian had used threats to force a Lebanese-Armenian business partner, Kevork Toramanian, to give up his 50 percent stake in their joint venture in 2010. The law-enforcement agency charged Tsarukian as well as the former chairman of his Multi Group holding company, Sedrak Arustamian, with extortion and money laundering. “This is an absolutely false accusation that has no basis in reality,” Tsarukian’s lawyer, Emin Khachatrian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. He noted that Toramanian waited for more than 15 years before alleging the extortion during the Armenian authorities’ crackdown on Tsarukian and his businesses. In late July, Tsarukian was also charged with evading taxes that were due to be paid by a brandy distillery owned by him.