YEREVAN. – The processes in connection with The Civilitas Foundation founder, former FM, and Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) MP Vartan Oskanian are directed at others such as PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan and second President Robert Kocharyan, Regional Studies Center Director, political analyst Richard Giragosian said during a press conference on Thursday.   

As per Giragosian, the first noteworthy factor on this case is the principle of “presumption of innocence.” “The Government has to take steps to prove that Oskanian is innocent. Even the Prosecutor General doesn’t understand the real meaning of the case. This is not money laundering; it has never been and will not be such,” the analyst maintained.   

The second factor which Richard Giragosian stressed is the timing, which is very suspicious. “Yes, this is a politicized process,” he noted.

The political scientist’s third conclusion is that there are lots more and more serious violations committed by the MPs in parliament, specifically by the oligarchs. Giragosian believes this is a test for Armenia’s rule of law and for its international standing and reputation.    

“The Armenian Government is intentionally or unintentionally elevating Oskanian as a political victim. [And Prosecutor General] Aghvan Hovsepyan is intentionally or unintentionally helping Oskanian in the presidential elections [next year],” Richard Giragosian said.   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the National Assembly on Tuesday voted—by 64 ballots for, six against, and with one invalid vote—in favor of Prosecutor General’s petition to include Vartan Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit. A total of 71 MPs participated in the voting.

To note, on May 25 the National Security Service (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 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 to be politically motivated.

The Civilitas Foundation was founded in 2008 by Vartan Oskanian. After joining Prosperous Armenia Party ahead of the May 6 parliamentary elections, however, Oskanian gave up his post as the Foundation Chairman.

Photo by Sona Barseghyan