YEREVAN.- The Armenian National Assembly voted in favor of the request of Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan to involve former foreign minister, MP from Prosperous Armenia Vartan Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit on money laundering with 64 votes for and six - against. One ballot was considered invalid.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports 71 MPs participated in voting.

On May 25 the NSS Department of Investigation filed a criminal lawsuit on charges of money laundering with respect to The Civilitas Foundation (founded by Oskanian).

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 - 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, according to 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