Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork Marash Court of First Instance rejected the request by Vartan Oskanian to demand that the National Security Service reverse its May 25 decision to open a criminal case on money laundering, and involving Vartan Oskanian and the Civilitas Foundation.
At the conclusion of the closed-door session, Oskanian’s attorney Tigran Atanesyan said that the court’s decision validates Mr. Oskanian’s insistence that this is a politically-motivated matter. During the hearing, Mr. Atanesyan said neither the investigator nor the prosecutor were able to present any serious evidence which backed the decision to open a criminal investigation.
Mr. Oskanian also commented on the court’s decision. “It has now been two full months since the criminal case was opened. I would think that would have been sufficient time for the investigators to present convincing evidence, if of course such exist. But nothing has been done. After the verdict, I’m even more convinced that other than a political motivation, there is nothing at the basis of this case.”
Mr. Oskanian’s hearing took place on the second day of the extended period that the Tax Service had requested in order to continue their investigation of Civilitas’s books. By law, the investigation that was to take place over 15 consecutive working days can be extended by 10 days. Thus, unless the investigation is frozen (for a period of 90 days is what the law allows) there should be a concluding assessment by the Tax Service by the second week of August.
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At the same time, the NSS has continued to call members of the Civilitas Board for questioning. On Tuesday, July 17, Ms. Karine Harutyunyan was the last one to appear.
The Civilitas Foundation
