NSS terminates criminal proceedings against Vartan Oskanian

The National Security Service of Armenia has terminated the criminal proceedings against the former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian.

“On July 19, 2013, V. Oskanian submitted an application and gave evidence, confessing that out of the sum allocated by the head of Huntsman International Corporation John Huntsman to Civilitas Foundation for charitable purposes, he used $250,795 for personal goals, considering that sum as his share of the deal,” the press service of NSS said.

Besides, V. Oskanian paid an income tax of $49,363 on $250,795 (the tax was calculated by the State Revenue Committee) to the state budget of Armenia.

“The earlier criminal case under an article on money laundering was re-qualified as a case under an article on tax evasion in large amounts. Taking into account the fact that Vartan Oskanian voluntarily paid the tax, a decision was made to terminate criminal proceedings against him,” the NSS statement reads.

In the summer of 2012 the Investigation Department of NSS opened a criminal case under the article on money laundering in connection with legalization of “large amounts of income criminally obtained” by the Civilitas Foundation headed by V. Oskanian.
In particular, an investigation was conducted into the sale by Civilitas Foundation of its 100% stake of $2 million in Huntsman Building Products set up in Armenia by two US companies – Polymer Materials and Huntsman International.

Vartan Oskanian earlier denied the charges against him, calling it a ‘political persecution’.