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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.
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.