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NEW MOTION FILED IN LAWSUIT AGAINST HRAIR HOVNANIAN AND OTHERS OVER GENOCIDE MUSEUM
AZG Armenian Daily
29/11/2007
CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm and lost opportunity
Minneapolis, MN, Nov. 27, 2007 - The Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF),
on behalf of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial, Inc. (AGMM),
filed a motion today in an ongoing lawsuit in the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia. The court is being
asked to enjoin the Armenian Assembly of America, Inc. (Assembly),
and AGMM rogue trustees Hirair Hovnanian, Van Krikorian and Anoush
Mathevosian from attempting to develop the AGMM in contravention of
the organization's charter documents and the agreements that made
the undertaking possible in the first place.
"By this action, CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm," said
CFF Vice President and CFF-designated AGMM trustee John Waters. "On
November 3, 2007, the Assembly announced plans to develop a museum on
part of a site owned by the AGMM. It was a baffling announcement, since
the Assembly neither owns nor controls AGMM. The Assembly-announced
plan would diminish the project by confining the development to
a renovated bank building. According to an attorney representing
the Assembly, the rogue trustees apparently intended to pay for the
bank building renovation by selling off the adjoining properties in
disregard of fiduciary and contractual duties. The injunction would
enforce those obligations."
"The AGMM should have a commanding presence," said CFF Founder and
President Gerard Cafesjian. "We realized early on that a renovated
bank building would simply not do justice to the institution that
the community deserves and that the tragedy suffered by the Armenian
people warrants. We worked hard to acquire additional property so
that this project could be done right."
Unfortunately the other trustees have blocked nearly every plan
that has been proposed. Assembly obdurance ultimately brought AGMM
development to a standstill.
Realizing that personality clashes were deadlocking AGMM governance,
Mr. Cafesjian resigned his position as Chair of the Board of
Trustees in September 2003 in hopes that the project could be
revived. Mr. Cafesjian removed himself from the board in order that
AGMM Trustees could move the project forward without the distraction
of Cafesjian's presence.
Unfortunately, Mr. Cafesjian's gesture did not produce the desired
result. Rather than committing to an appropriate project, the
dissident trustees lashed out at Mr. Cafesjian. At a meeting from which
the Cafesjian representative was virtually expelled, the remaining
trustees highjacked the project by delegating all board responsibility
regarding AGMM development to a committee that is answerable to no
one. Thereafter, a seven-year-old study, which had previously been
rejected, was passed off at the L.A. Assembly gala as the new vision
for AGMM. The rump group apparently intends to proceed with this plan
while excluding CFF from participation in the development.
"Mr. Cafesjian has proposed a strong vision for AGMM," said
Mr. Waters. "And he has contributed property, money and other
significant resources to move that vision forward. Other trustees,
apparently led by Mr. Hovnanian, oppose a bold vision. If they get
their way, the real estate would be dismantled, and over half the
site that we worked so hard to assemble would be sold, depriving the
community of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the benefit of
a truly remarkable project.
"Mr. Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation are unwilling
to stand by and let the AGMM's dream be downsized and the assets
squandered," said Mr. Waters.
"On behalf of those that have sacrificed so much, the Cafesjian
Family Foundation will continue to fight for a proper development to
commemorate the Armenian people and their suffering."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
AZG Armenian Daily
29/11/2007
CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm and lost opportunity
Minneapolis, MN, Nov. 27, 2007 - The Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF),
on behalf of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial, Inc. (AGMM),
filed a motion today in an ongoing lawsuit in the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia. The court is being
asked to enjoin the Armenian Assembly of America, Inc. (Assembly),
and AGMM rogue trustees Hirair Hovnanian, Van Krikorian and Anoush
Mathevosian from attempting to develop the AGMM in contravention of
the organization's charter documents and the agreements that made
the undertaking possible in the first place.
"By this action, CFF seeks to protect AGMM from irreparable harm," said
CFF Vice President and CFF-designated AGMM trustee John Waters. "On
November 3, 2007, the Assembly announced plans to develop a museum on
part of a site owned by the AGMM. It was a baffling announcement, since
the Assembly neither owns nor controls AGMM. The Assembly-announced
plan would diminish the project by confining the development to
a renovated bank building. According to an attorney representing
the Assembly, the rogue trustees apparently intended to pay for the
bank building renovation by selling off the adjoining properties in
disregard of fiduciary and contractual duties. The injunction would
enforce those obligations."
"The AGMM should have a commanding presence," said CFF Founder and
President Gerard Cafesjian. "We realized early on that a renovated
bank building would simply not do justice to the institution that
the community deserves and that the tragedy suffered by the Armenian
people warrants. We worked hard to acquire additional property so
that this project could be done right."
Unfortunately the other trustees have blocked nearly every plan
that has been proposed. Assembly obdurance ultimately brought AGMM
development to a standstill.
Realizing that personality clashes were deadlocking AGMM governance,
Mr. Cafesjian resigned his position as Chair of the Board of
Trustees in September 2003 in hopes that the project could be
revived. Mr. Cafesjian removed himself from the board in order that
AGMM Trustees could move the project forward without the distraction
of Cafesjian's presence.
Unfortunately, Mr. Cafesjian's gesture did not produce the desired
result. Rather than committing to an appropriate project, the
dissident trustees lashed out at Mr. Cafesjian. At a meeting from which
the Cafesjian representative was virtually expelled, the remaining
trustees highjacked the project by delegating all board responsibility
regarding AGMM development to a committee that is answerable to no
one. Thereafter, a seven-year-old study, which had previously been
rejected, was passed off at the L.A. Assembly gala as the new vision
for AGMM. The rump group apparently intends to proceed with this plan
while excluding CFF from participation in the development.
"Mr. Cafesjian has proposed a strong vision for AGMM," said
Mr. Waters. "And he has contributed property, money and other
significant resources to move that vision forward. Other trustees,
apparently led by Mr. Hovnanian, oppose a bold vision. If they get
their way, the real estate would be dismantled, and over half the
site that we worked so hard to assemble would be sold, depriving the
community of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the benefit of
a truly remarkable project.
"Mr. Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation are unwilling
to stand by and let the AGMM's dream be downsized and the assets
squandered," said Mr. Waters.
"On behalf of those that have sacrificed so much, the Cafesjian
Family Foundation will continue to fight for a proper development to
commemorate the Armenian people and their suffering."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress