YEREVAN. – The absurd persecution that was launched against me has finally come to an end.    

Prosperous Armenia Party MP, former FM, and The Civilitas Foundation Founder Vartan Oskanian wrote the aforesaid in his Facebook account. 

“I would like to say the following in connection with the statement which the Armenian National Security Service [NSS] issued today [i.e., Wednesday]:

“The most important thing in all this is that they are unable to prove the two serious charges of ‘money laundering’ and ‘embezzlement’ because of an absence of corpus delicti, and they are forced to dismiss the case by other means. 

“I must say that I have not made any confession.

“Ever since the first day when a criminal case was launched against me, I have said that not a single penny was misused from the money which [American benefactor, The Civilitas Foundation Board member] John Huntsman had entrusted me, [and] which was intended for the use of The Civilitas Foundation. Also, more than $100,000 was added to it,” Oskanian wrote, in particular, in his Facebook account.     

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Vartan Oskanian, who was a defendant in a criminal case being examined at the NSS, on July 19 submitted a petition to the investigating authority and gave testimony in this connection.  

Vartan Oskanian confessed that he had made use of $250,795.26—from the amount which John Huntsman had donated to the foundation for charitable purposes—for private purposes, considering this as his share in the deal, the NSS press center informed. At the same time, he expressed willingness to pay the resultant tax that is due.

The amount of tax which Oskanian had to pay was calculated at AMD 20,140,324 (approx. $48,510), and he paid this amount in full on Tuesday. In addition, and after the opening of the criminal case, Oskanian credited $1,086,826 to The Civilitas Foundation, which is the balance of the interest of the amount donated by Huntsman and its deposit.    

Considering that Vartan Oskanian has voluntarily paid the amount of the tax liabilities and given his consent, the NSS investigation authority decided to drop the criminal case against him.   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am