Georgian Prosecutor’s Office: TBC founder’s claims that he informed us about threatening letter from interior minister are lies
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office released an extract from the interrogation record of TBC founder Mamuka Khazaradze.Photo: Prosecutor’s Office.
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The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed a statement made yesterday by TBC Bank founder Mamuka Khazaradze that he had informed prosecutors regarding the“threatening letter” he received from Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia ahead of the second round of Georgian presidential elections in November 2018.
Khazaradze told legislators yesterday that the letter included threats that the reputation of the TBC Bank would be destroyed if the demands were not fulfilled.
We did not fulfil the demands,” Khazaradze said, adding that he had alerted the prosecutor’s office to the letter when he was summoned for interrogation in terms of the money laundering case involving him and another founder of the bank, Badri Japaridze.
“However, they ignored what I said and did not ask any questions,” Khazaradze said.
The prosecutor’s office claims that Khazaradze did not mention that he received such a letter from Gakharia.
Khazaradze was invited to parliament yesterday to speak about developments regarding the TBC case. Photo: 1TV.
The office reports that Khazaradze was interrogated before a judge as a witness on 26 December 2018.
During the interrogation, Khazaradze only mentioned an official letter received from the National Bank of Georgia saying that he and Badri Japaridze should leave their posts. It was perceived as a threat by Khazaradze. He also noted that the investigation of a case that happened 11 years ago would have affected their reputation and consequently the Anaklia deep sea project,” the Prosecutor’s Office says.
The office released an extract from Khazaradze`s interrogation record.
I strongly believe … that the letter of the National Bank of Georgia that we [me and Japaridze] may have to leave posts and investigating the case that took place 11 years ago serves the aim to discredit my image internationally that will automatically suspend funding of the Anaklia deep sea project. I have received a letter including threats and when it is time I will make the letter public, on how we were being threatened with such words,” Khazaradze says in the record released by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Georgian Interior Minister has called Khazaradze a “privileged businessman who was gossiping from the parliamentary tribune” and added that he never writes letters.
Read more about the case here.
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