Oskanian formally charged
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) MP Vartan Oskanian has been formally charged by the National Security Service under Articles 179 and 190 of the Armenian Criminal Code.
On October 8, Oskanian was invited to the NSS for questioning.
"No restraint has been declared. Nor have they restricted Oskanian's activity or movement," Oskanian's lawyer Tigran Atanesyan, told reporters.
The former foreign minister did not accept the accusation and refused to give testimony or answer questions.
Last week, the National Assembly of Armenia voted in favor of Prosecutor General's petition to include Vartan Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit filed against Oskanian's Civilitas Foundation. A total of 71 MPs participated in the voting.
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.
Oskanian was charged under paragraph 1 of Part 3 of Article 179 of the RA Criminal Code (large-scale embezzlement, punished by 4-8 years of imprisonment with or without confiscation of property) and under paragraph 1 of Part 3 of Article 190 (misuse of illegally obtained large funds, punished by 6-12 years of imprisonment with or without confiscation of property).
Oskanian considers the charges to be politically motivated.
