YEREVAN. – ‘“What is the matter? Vartan Oskanian has simply joined those three million citizens of Armenia who do not have [parliamentary] immunity. As case in point, he has become my equal. If I can be arrested any time at the whim of a rank-and-file police officer, Oskanian has become my equal.   

And those words that [he was] ‘a [foreign affairs] minister for ten years,’ etc. Let me remind that everyone is equal before the law. [Opposition Heritage Party leader, American Armenian] Raff Hovannisian was an FM, too, but they did not give him Armenian citizenship for years on end.    

Similarly, when Oskanian’s government was persecuting [former FM, opposition Free Democrats Party member, and MP Alexander] Arzumanyan, he was a minister as well,’ [opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman] Paruyr Hayrikyan reacted thusly in response to the journalists’ query as to his assessment on removing Oskanian’s [parliamentary] immunity,” Aravot daily writes.   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the National Security Service (NSS) Department of Investigation has brought formal charges Monday against The Civilitas Foundation founder, former FM, and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan Oskanian.

To note, on October 2 the National Assembly 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.

On May 25 NSS Department of Investigation had 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.