Cafesjian Foundation wins Genocide Museum lawsuit

January 29, 2011 - 14:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A U.S. court decision removed a major hurdle for the future Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial when a federal judge ruled that all properties located in downtown Washington, which had been purchased and donated by Gerard L. Cafesjian for the purposes of the project, revert to the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF).

In addition to the reversion of property, the ruling dismissed all claims launched against Mr. Cafesjian and CFF by Hirair Hovnanian and his associates, reinstated CFF on the board of the Armenian Genocide Museum & Memorial (AGMM Inc.) and ruled that Mr. Cafesjian is entitled to compensation of his legal fees.

Starting in the year 2000, Mr. Cafesjian initiated a large-scale purchase of a group of buildings located just two blocks from the White House. These included the historic National Bank of Washington building and four adjacent structures.

In 2003, the properties were donated to the newly-established AGMM, Inc. on the condition that they would be developed into the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial by December 31, 2010. Mr. Cafesjian, Mr. Hovnanian, Robert Kaloosdian and others were included on the AGMM, Inc. board as founding members.

According to witness testimony, subsequent efforts to develop the project were stymied by objections from Mr. Hovnanian and Mr. Kaloosdian, leaving the project in a standstill. The court agreed and found that that Mr. Hovnanian and Mr. Kaloosdian were not supportive of Mr. Cafesjian's vision for the project.

On January 26, the judge ruled that the parties' agreement reached in 2003 remained in force and accordingly all the properties donated by Mr. Cafesjian had reverted to CFF as of December 3, according to The Armenian Reporter.