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Ex-foreign minister says petition to strip him of parliamentary
immunity is political order
YEREVAN, September 28. / ARKA /. In a response to a petition sent by
Armenia's prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian to the National Assembly
to ask its permission to involve former foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian as a defendant in an ongoing criminal investigation of the
National Security Service (NSS) into alleged money laundering by his
think, Oskanian described it as a political order.
Sona Truzian, a spokesperson for prosecutor general's not office, said
yesterday for now the matter does not concern stripping Oskanian of
his parliamentary immunity, nor has it anything to do with arresting
him.
The case stems from a nearly $2 million donation which Civilitas
received from two U.S. companies last year. The sum was transferred
from proceeds from the sale of their Armenian subsidiary, Huntsman
Building Products. The NSS claims that Civilitas failed to declare the
donation to tax authorities. Oskanian strongly denies that and says
the case is politically motivated.
Oskanian served as foreign minister in 1998-2008. He resigned as
chairman of Civilitas's governing board earlier this year shortly
after joining the Prosperous Armenia Party to run for the May 6
parliamentary elections.
"From the first day when the National Security Service opened a
criminal case, it was clear to me that this is a political order,
since the case is devoid of any legal content, `Oskanian said today in
a statement
"I have not yet officially received the petition asking to lift my
parliamentary immunity. This is why I refrain from guessing the nature
of the charges against me. Until now they were about "money
laundering", "persistent evasion of tax liabilities" or
"embezzlement". I would not be surprised if other ridiculous
accusations are presented. No matter what the prosecution has provided
for me this time, it can not have any legal basis,' he said.
"If the purpose of all this is to contain my political activities and
obstruct my criticism of the authorities, who failed in all areas, I
can say unequivocally that the government made a mistake in its
calculations. I am ready, even in these conditions, to continue my
struggle to achieve real change in the country, `Oskanian said in the
statement.
In another statement Oskanian's lawyer, Tigran Atanesyan, said in
accordance with the regulations of the Armenian Parliament, its
chairman was to inform Oskanian immediately about the petition of the
prosecutor general, which was not done in violation of the law. "
"This obvious disregard of the law indirectly confirms the theory that
the case against Oskanian is a political persecution," the layer said.
-0-
From: Baghdasarian
immunity is political order
YEREVAN, September 28. / ARKA /. In a response to a petition sent by
Armenia's prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian to the National Assembly
to ask its permission to involve former foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian as a defendant in an ongoing criminal investigation of the
National Security Service (NSS) into alleged money laundering by his
think, Oskanian described it as a political order.
Sona Truzian, a spokesperson for prosecutor general's not office, said
yesterday for now the matter does not concern stripping Oskanian of
his parliamentary immunity, nor has it anything to do with arresting
him.
The case stems from a nearly $2 million donation which Civilitas
received from two U.S. companies last year. The sum was transferred
from proceeds from the sale of their Armenian subsidiary, Huntsman
Building Products. The NSS claims that Civilitas failed to declare the
donation to tax authorities. Oskanian strongly denies that and says
the case is politically motivated.
Oskanian served as foreign minister in 1998-2008. He resigned as
chairman of Civilitas's governing board earlier this year shortly
after joining the Prosperous Armenia Party to run for the May 6
parliamentary elections.
"From the first day when the National Security Service opened a
criminal case, it was clear to me that this is a political order,
since the case is devoid of any legal content, `Oskanian said today in
a statement
"I have not yet officially received the petition asking to lift my
parliamentary immunity. This is why I refrain from guessing the nature
of the charges against me. Until now they were about "money
laundering", "persistent evasion of tax liabilities" or
"embezzlement". I would not be surprised if other ridiculous
accusations are presented. No matter what the prosecution has provided
for me this time, it can not have any legal basis,' he said.
"If the purpose of all this is to contain my political activities and
obstruct my criticism of the authorities, who failed in all areas, I
can say unequivocally that the government made a mistake in its
calculations. I am ready, even in these conditions, to continue my
struggle to achieve real change in the country, `Oskanian said in the
statement.
In another statement Oskanian's lawyer, Tigran Atanesyan, said in
accordance with the regulations of the Armenian Parliament, its
chairman was to inform Oskanian immediately about the petition of the
prosecutor general, which was not done in violation of the law. "
"This obvious disregard of the law indirectly confirms the theory that
the case against Oskanian is a political persecution," the layer said.
-0-
From: Baghdasarian