Second president of Armenia: People like Vartan Oskanian should be cherished but not persecuted

• Wednesday, October 3, 13:49

The decision to satisfy Armenian Prosecutor General Agvan Hovsepyan's request on stripping Vartan Oskanian of immunity is a bright example of self-discrediting of the Armenian parliament, that will negatively affect the image of the state which Armenia does not need today, the second president of
Armenia Robert Kocharyan issued such a statement today.

"I have thoroughly studied the materials of Oskanyan's case and could not find the answer to the question what the NSS, prosecutor general's office and the parliament had in common with the friendly relations of Vartan Oskanian and John Huntsman", -Kocharyan said and added that Oskanian has always been one of the most successful ministers and a sincere figure, which is an extremely rare feature in our political reality. "People like him, with such features and merits, should be cherished and not persecuted, especially taking into consideration the fact that he represents a political force with a very big electorate. I am sorry for what had happened and express my support and sympathy to Vartan Oskanian", - the statement of the second president of Armenia says.  To recall, on September 27 Prosecutor General Hovsepyan appealed to the Parliament for a permission to involve Vartan Oskanian as an accused party in the money laundering case against Civilitas Foundation. The appeal implies deprivation of deputy immunity, but not arrest. Oskanian has
already made a statement saying that Aghvan Hovsepyan's appeal was a political order.  On June 12 the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia submitted details of the criminal case against Civilitas Foundation initiated on May 25 (article 190.3 of the Criminal Code of the RA money laundering). The criminal case against the Civilitas Foundation concerns the $2mln transaction for the sale of Huntsman Building Products, an Armenia-based company owned by US-based Polymer Materials and Huntsman International.

To note, on 2 October Vartan Oskanian was stripped of immunity.  64 members of the parliament voted for and six - against, and one ballot was considered invalid. The total of 71 members of the parliament from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and "Orinats Yerkir" party took part in the voting. All the opposition parties as well as the "Prosperous Armenia" Party boycotted the voting.