American businessman and benefactor Jon Huntsman is scrapping his programs in Armenia. Huntsman made that decision in 2014. The reason is the legal action initiated against the Civilitas Foundation in Armenia. To recall, the legal action involved Hunstman's name. Hraparak (Square) newspaper says that Huntsman's image in the United States has considerably suffered following the legal action against the Civilitas Foundation and now the benefactor has lost confidence in Armenian partners.
"Though Huntsman has no financial problems and though he expressed an intention to a implement a number of projects in Armenia in the field of education and healthcare, nevertheless, the benefactor decided to give up the idea. The projects implied investments worth millions of dollars", says the newspaper.
To remind, a criminal case was instituted against ex-Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, who founded the Civilitas Foundation in 2012. He was charged with misappropriation of the funds allocated by Huntsman for charity. Oskanian's supporters claimed that the case was politically charged and was connected with Oskanian's criticism against the incumbent authorities