Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s director returns to work: Fund continues receiving donations

YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s director Ara Vardanyan has returned to work, the Fund’s spokesperson Anush Martirosyan told Armenpress.

“The Fund is working as previously, nothing has changed in its activities. All our programs are running smoothly. On July 16 we are going to open a community center in one of the communities of Artsakh”, she said.

Asked whether during those days there have been calls from donors, she said yes, they have called in order to get detailed information.

“We have properly provided information to all. Moreover, during this period the donations continued”, Anush Martirosyan said.

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s director Ara Vardanyan has been detained by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia on July 2 in suspicion of embezzlement and abuse.

The NSS said that Vardanyan has confessed in misappropriating the fund’s finances, including by using the money for online gambling.

According to Vardanyan, he has returned the misused money through the donated funds. According to him, he later entered personal cash to the fund’s bookkeeping, thus covering up the misused amounts.

However, Vardanyan has been released on bail. The court has set a bail at 1 million AMD.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan