Kemal Oksuz, a pro-Azeri lobbyist was arrested by Armenian police on Thursday
YEREVAN—Police in Armenia, in cooperation with Interpol, have detained Turkish national Kevin Oksuz wanted by the United States law-enforcement bodies.
Oskus established a company in Armenia to start business. On August 23, Kevin Oksuz was declared internationally wanted on charges of perjury by falsifying and submitting false statements to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives.
“Armenian Police and Interpol cooperation to help the U.S. bring Mr. Oksuz to justice is a welcome development,” said ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian. “Exhaustive investigations by the Office of Congressional Ethics — released in 2015 following ANCA grassroots pressure and public calls by watchdog groups — revealed that non-profits led by Mr. Oksuz had funneled over $750,000 in State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) funds to illegally pay for Congressional junkets to Baku. We look forward to Mr. Oksuz and his patrons in the Azerbaijani government to be held accountable for the full extent of their foreign manipulation of the US political system.”
Oksuz was the president of a nonprofit organization of Turkish Americans and Eurasians, which aimed at establishing close relations between Turks and Americans by organizing trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In 2013 he invited several US Congressmen to Azerbaijan and Turkey for a private visit. He submitted false documents to the Ethics Committee, noting that the organization never received financing from any source either directly or indirectly.
However, it has now been revealed that the organization actually didn’t pay for all expenses and received additional financing, including from SOCAR Oil Company belonging to the Azerbaijani government.
It has also been revealed that nine Members of Congress and 32 staff members received gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
