The paper Haykakan Zhamanak says it has learned from sources that several US-Armenians attending Armenia Fund’s recent gala banquet in California held a protest at the event, boycotting the annual fund-raising.

Instead of donations, they reportedly voiced calls for organizing appropriate tax collection. Citing the website Thetruthmustbetold.com, the paper says that the crowd particularly boycotted the annual TV marathon. The paper claims that the protest was organized by the website’s owner, Ara Manukyan, who periodically makes what is described as scandalous revelations and analysis about Armenia. He reportedly slammed the Fund as a corrupt body which helps the Armenian government leaders to maintain power.

The paper notes that this year’s TV marathon is set to take place in Los Angeles on November 27. Earlier, an official delegation from Nagorno-Karabakh (including President Bako Sahakyan, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Artsakh Diocese, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan and other government officials) was reported to have left for the United States to participate in the annual event. They too, were present at the banquet, adds the paper.