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Oskanian: Financial probe against Civilitas politically motivated

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  • Oskanian: Financial probe against Civilitas politically motivated

    Oskanian: Financial probe against Civilitas politically motivated

    http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2012-06-15-oskanian-financial-probe-against-civilitas-politically-motivated
    Published: Friday June 15, 2012


    Vartan Oskanian. Photolure

    Recently elected member of Armenia's National Assembly and former
    foreign minister (1998-2008) Vartan Oskanian has been called in for
    questioning by Armenia's National Security Service over a $2 million
    donation made to Civilitas Foundation which Oskanian established in
    2008.

    Oskanian, who resigned from the board of the foundation ahead of the
    parliamentary elections, has called the probe as politically
    motivated.

    The probe was launched on May 25, shortly after the Prosperous Armenia
    Party, of which Oskanian is senior member, refused to enter into a
    coalition with the governing Republican Party and consequently endorse
    that party leader, President Serge Sargsyan, in his anticipated bid
    for re-election next February.

    In recent days, half a dozen of Western ambassadors based in Yerevan,
    including U.S. Ambassador John Heffern, visited Civilitas offices in a
    show of support.

    Vartan Oskanian issued the following statement on June 11, 2012:

    The National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia has summoned
    me to offer testimony in relation to a criminal case regarding money
    laundering, involving myself and the Civilitas Foundation, which I
    founded.

    >From the start, the Civilitas Foundation has been transparent, and
    operated in accordance with the spirit and the letter of Armenian law.
    Since its first days in 2008, the Civilitas Foundation's programs have
    been supported by the governments of the Netherlands and Poland, the
    foreign ministries of Norway and Germany, the international
    development organizations of Switzerland and the UK, the US Embassy in
    Yerevan, the OSCE Yerevan Office, as well as other well-known
    organizations, corporations and individuals.

    This has been public information. The government agencies of the
    Republic of Armenia clearly could not have been ignorant about these
    relationships.

    I find it strange and astonishing therefore that my work and the work
    of Civilitas can in any way be linked to money laundering or illegally
    acquired funds. Even more astonishing is that such a question is being
    raised at a time when I have entered politics.

    It is obvious to me that the criminal case that has been opened is
    politically motivated.

    The National Security Service issued the following statement on June
    12, 2012 (translated into English from the Russian version):

    On May 25 of this year, the investigations directorate of Armenia's
    National Security Service open a criminal case based on Article 190,
    part 3, paragraph 1 -legalization of funds acquired through criminal
    means in particularly large amounts /money laundering/.

    The investigation is focused on the sale of the Armenia-registered
    company "Huntsman Building Products" owned by "Polymer Materials" and
    "Huntsman International" registered in the United States for $2
    million. As a result of an improper formulation of the sales agreement
    the deal was not reported to tax bodies and as a result relevant tax
    obligations were not met. Of the proceeds intended by the American
    side to be spent for humanitarian purposes in Armenia, $1,135,000 was
    not directed towards humanitarian programs, but transferred to
    accounts opened by the founder and chairman of the Civilitas
    Foundation Vartan Oskanian and member of the foundation's board of
    trustees Tigran Karapetian, and part of these funds was illegally used
    towards personal needs.

    Moreover, the Civilitas Foundation, in violation of its own charter
    and demands of the law, did not provide reporting about the $2 million
    donation from "Polymer Materials" and "Huntsman International"
    intended for humanitarian programs.

    As part of this criminal case tax inspections and expert analyses are
    being conducted and testimonies are being sought, measures are taken
    to establish all circumstances of this case as part of an objective
    and comprehensive investigation. Investigation is continuing.

    Vartan Oskanian issued the following statement on June 12, 2012:

    Today the National Security Service issued a statement trying to prove
    that the criminal case they have initiated is not politically
    motivated.

    I repeat that it is clearly politically motivated and I want to say
    the following: money laundering, Oskanian, Huntsman are words that
    cannot be placed together in one sentence.

    In order for there to be money laundering, there must first be dirty
    money. In this case, the source of the funds are known, the buyer is
    known, the transfer of the funds to me and to Civilitas according to
    the donor's wishes have been transparent and electronic. The attorneys
    have said that no tax obligation was created as a result of the
    transaction. And the donor's funds "shall be considered as a donation
    and the Recipient has the right to use in its discretion and for the
    implementation of its statutory objectives."

    Only those with political motivations will attempt to reduce a good
    man's good work to political currency.

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