YEREVAN. – In his Facebook account, The Civilitas Foundation founder, former FM, and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan Oskanian reflected on his being issued a summons for questioning.   

“This political farce continues. Today I received a summons from the [National Security Service] NSS ‘on bringing charges against me and calling me for questioning.’  

These infringements are not against me, but rather [against] Armenia’s standing and our democracy. In this new phase I would like to thank all those who have joined the signature campaign to prevent this political persecution. I am very moved by seeing the sincere and honest comments by the signatories from different countries,” Oskanian specifically wrote in his Facebook account.          

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Vartan Oskanian was issued a summons for a questioning on October 8. And Prosecutor General’s spokeswoman Sona Truzyan did not rule out that charges may be brought against Oskanian on the same day.

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.