YEREVAN. – On May 25, the Armenian National Security Service (NSS) Department of Investigation launched a criminal case on charges of money laundering.

The NSS Press Center informed that an investigation is underway with respect to selling the 100-percent shares of the Huntsman Building Products Company for around US$ 2 million but not informing Armenia’s tax authorities about this business deal; not using for charitable purposes $1,135,000 of that amount envisioned for charity; transferring this amount to the bank accounts opened under the names of The Civilitas Foundation’s Founder and Chairman—and Armenia’s former FM—Vartan Oskanian,  and of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees member Tigran Karapetyan; and using some of this amount for private purposes.           

In addition, as per the NSS Press Center, The Civilitas Foundation has not presented a report on the $2 million allocated for charitable purposes.