Gov’t denies opposition’s accusations of political motive behind money laundering case against TBC Bank founders
Ruling party members and ministers say that Khazaradze announced the creation of a civic movement after the investigation into the money laundering case had already been launched. Economy Minister Natia Turnava on the photo. Photo: Ministry of Economy press office.
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Top figures of the Georgian Dream ruling party say that there are no political grounds in the accusations against TBC founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, who will be charged with laundering of $16.7 million later today.
Minister of Economy Natia Turnava, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze and Deputy Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili have said that Khazaradze announced his plans to create a civic movement earlier this month, while the investigation into the possible case of money laundering was launched earlier in August 2018.
Of course, the opposition will try to see political grounds in the issue, as they do in several other cases. However, the most important thing will be evidence provided by the prosecution as it is a high-profile case,” Chugoshvili said.
Turnava said that the Georgian Dream leadership has never used neither the Prosecutor’s Office nor the court for its political goals.
Mamuka Khazaradze will make a statememnt later today, a lawyer said.
Members of European Georgia and the United National Movement say that Khazaradze “is being prosecuted” for his intent to create a civic movement and his role in the Anaklia Deep Sea Port.
Roman Gotsiridze from the United National Movement opposition party says that the head of the ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is using all levers to preserve power.
He says that the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project is disliked by Russia and Ivanishvili.
Turnava responded that the Anaklia Port is among the top priorities of the Georgian government and the project "is noway at risk" due to the case.
Khazaradze and Japaridze have been summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office to be charged at 5 p.m. today. Lawyers say that they will make statements there.
The only public statement Khazaradze has made this morning was a Facebook post about the Anaklia Port, above which he wrote “We will build it anyway.”
Head of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association Sulkhan Saladze says that the prosecution will have to assure the public that the decision to proceed with the case is fair.
Head of the National Bank of Georgia Koba Gvenetadze says that the relationship with TBC Bank continues in an ordinary manner, saying that the investigation is a separate issue.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia claims that a cyber-attack on the leading Georgian bank TBC was identified and responded to several weeks before the address of bank officials.
TBC Bank Founder Mamuka Khazaradze says that he has sent a letter he claimed he received from Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and which allegedly included threats against him and TBC Bank, to London to be studied, while a copy has been handed to the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office have summoned TBC founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze to charge them [later today] with laundering $16,754,000. The Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into possible money laundering on 2 August 2018, ‘after the Georgian Financial Monitoring Service sent us a written note about a possible violation’ taking place in 2007- 2008.
Founder of TBC Bank Mamuka Khazaradze has announced plans to create a new public movement in September, which will attempt to unite Georgia and preserve the country’s freedom and independence.
TBC Bank founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have officially been charged with laundering $16.7 million in 2007-2008. Khazaradze says that the charge “aims to stop the construction of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port.”
“The government has stated many times and I repeat that the Anaklia Port is not the project of some individual or a consortium, it is a strategically important project and the government does its best for its construction. We need the deep-sea port to increase Georgia’s transit capability and boost the state economy,” Chugoshvili said.
The US Embassy to Georgia says that they are ‘closely following’ the developments related to the criminal charges the Georgian Chief Prosecutor General’s Office has filed against TBC Bank founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.