YEREVAN. – Armenian capital city Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash General Jurisdiction Court on Saturday rejected The Civilitas Foundation’s petition to annul the decision by the National Security Service (NSS).   

The Foundation had demanded that the criminal lawsuit, which NSS has launched, be dismissed.  

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, on May 25 the NSS Department of Investigation launched a criminal lawsuit on charges of money laundering with respect to The Civilitas Foundation.

The NSS Press Center had informed that an investigation is underway in connection with 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 former FM and currently Prosperous Armenia Party MP—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 had not presented a report on the $2 million allocated for charitable purposes.