Coordinator of Armenian National Congress: Criminal action against Civilitas Foundation may have political implications

• Wednesday, June 13, 01:40

The criminal action against Vartan Oskanian's Civilitas Foundation may have political implications, Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan told journalists on Tuesday. 

"If we were in a democratic country, I would consider normal the police's attempts to control the financial activities of public organizations, but since we are not, I will not be surprised to know that this case is politically motivated," Zurabyan said.

The National Security Service of Armenia has summoned former Foreign Minister of Armenia, member of the Prosperous Armenia party Vartan Oskanian to offer testimony in relation to a criminal case regarding money laundering, involving him and his Civilitas Foundation.

In a statement on Monday Oskanian said that "from the start, the Civilitas Foundation has been transparent, and operated in accordance with the spirit and the letter of Armenian law... 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."