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FOREIGN AMBASSADORS VOICE SUPPORT FOR CIVILITAS
http://www.armenianow.com/news/44814/armenia_civilitas_foundation_money_laundering_amba ssadors
NEWS | 28.03.13 | 10:38
The heads of a number of foreign diplomatic missions in Armenia have
voiced support for the Civilitas Foundation, which has been in the
center of a money laundering investigation recently.
During an event hosted by the Yerevan-based think tank on Wednesday,
the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and Switzerland
as well as the honorary consul of Norway and Finland to Armenia
describing Civilitas and its partner press organization Civilnet
as reliable partners. They said both were important for Armenia's
further democratization.
Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) last year charged Civilitas
founder and former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian with money
laundering considering Civilitas to be a victim of his alleged
wrongdoing. It said Oskanian had misappropriated some $1.4 million
donated by a U.S. philanthropist to the Foundation in 2010. The
lawmaker affiliated with the Prosperous Armenia Party has dismissed
the charges as politically motivated.
U.S. Ambassador John Heffern stressed that Civilitas is "critically
important" to Armenia's democracy and that the embassy has no concerns
about U.S. taxpayer funds spent on projects carried out jointly with
the Yerevan-based organization.
"And we definitely believe there is no victim here and as far as we
know there is no complainant reporting any violations. We believe
that there is nothing to be investigated by the NSS or anybody else
and certainly nothing of a criminal nature," Heffern said.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/44814/armenia_civilitas_foundation_money_laundering_amba ssadors
NEWS | 28.03.13 | 10:38
The heads of a number of foreign diplomatic missions in Armenia have
voiced support for the Civilitas Foundation, which has been in the
center of a money laundering investigation recently.
During an event hosted by the Yerevan-based think tank on Wednesday,
the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and Switzerland
as well as the honorary consul of Norway and Finland to Armenia
describing Civilitas and its partner press organization Civilnet
as reliable partners. They said both were important for Armenia's
further democratization.
Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) last year charged Civilitas
founder and former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian with money
laundering considering Civilitas to be a victim of his alleged
wrongdoing. It said Oskanian had misappropriated some $1.4 million
donated by a U.S. philanthropist to the Foundation in 2010. The
lawmaker affiliated with the Prosperous Armenia Party has dismissed
the charges as politically motivated.
U.S. Ambassador John Heffern stressed that Civilitas is "critically
important" to Armenia's democracy and that the embassy has no concerns
about U.S. taxpayer funds spent on projects carried out jointly with
the Yerevan-based organization.
"And we definitely believe there is no victim here and as far as we
know there is no complainant reporting any violations. We believe
that there is nothing to be investigated by the NSS or anybody else
and certainly nothing of a criminal nature," Heffern said.