YEREVAN.- The ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group opposes petition submitted by Prosecutor General on Vartan Oskanian’s case.

As reported earlier, the Armenian National Assembly is discussing the formal petition of Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan to include Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit.

Addressing the lawmakers on Monday, secretary of ARFD group Aghvan Vardanyan said anyone who will betray Oskanian “will be held accountable before the people and their own conscience.” According to him, there is only a petition but no evidence of guilt.

Vardanyan said he does not cherish illusions about the MPs’ vote recalling that the Republican Party has majority of votes plus its coalition partner Orinats Yerkir. However, the lawmaker urged colleagues to vote according to conscience.

On May 25 the NSS Department of Investigation filed 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 $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—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.

In his turn, Vartan Oskanian considers the charges are politically motivated.

Civilitas was founded in 2008 by former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian. After joining Prosperous Armenia Party ahead of the May 6 parliamentary elections, Oskanian gave up his post as a foundation chairman.

Photo by Sona Barseghyan