TBC Bank founders sue Deputy Chairman of Parliament Volski for slander
Japaridze demands Volski publicly rescind his statement and be subject to a fine of 221,952 GEL (about $74,731/€67,796). Photo: 1TV.
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TBC Bank co-founder Badri Japaridze intends to sue Deputy Chairman of Parliament Gia Volski for ‘slander and degrading statements against the honour and dignity of himself and co-founder Mamuka Khazaradze.
Japaridze demands Volski publicly rescind his statement and be subject to a fine of 221,952 GEL (about $74,731/€67,796).
The Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, Gia Volski, has slandered us and regularly and publicly utters absurd and fabricated accusations", Japaridze said.
At the end of August, Volski said: “Khazaradze and his supporters are trying to portray the situation as if they are entering politics and the state is trying to find ways to prevent them from doing so...Mamuka Khazaradze is a man who is starting politics with lies, [including in the] case of the Anaklia port".
Japaridze says the international community is “well-aware that there is a political struggle going on against [himself] and Mamuka Khazaradze”, and blamed officials for
The local and international community is already well aware that there is a political struggle going on against me and Mamuka Khazaradze", announced Japaridze.
He also accused officials of creating new ‘cases’ against him and Khazaradze to destroy their reputation and of trying to manipulate public opinion.
It is a fact that the Prosecutor's Office has received an order to attack us, as a result of which a completely absurd accusation was lodged against [us] and [the Prosecutor’s Office] imposed brutal repressive restrictions against [us]”, Japaridze stated.
Volski has called Japaridze’s accusation an absurdity and says that “the [TBC Bank founders] must answer for the [laundering of 17 million GEL]”.
When you go into politics, you have to have the answers to questions, not new attention-getting tricks”, stated Volski today.
TBC Bank founders Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze were charged with laundering $16,164,000 on July 24, 2019 in a case that dates back to 2008, when LTD Samgori M and LTD Samgori Trade received a 17 million USD loan in an accelerated manner from TBC Bank without providing anything in collateral.
Bail was set for both of them at 700,000 GEL ($235,690/€213,819) on July 26.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office originally demanded bail be set at 1,000,000 GEL ($336,700/€305,455).
The Prosecutor’s Office says it had been looking into the possible money laundering case as far back as August 2018.
Both Japaridze and Khazaradze deny the charges against them.
Georgian businessman Avtandil Tsereteli, accused of complicity in the money laundering case concerning TBC Bank founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, has posted 500,0000 GEL ($168,350/€152,728) bail, his lawyer Kakha Tsereteli says.
TBC Bank founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, charged with laundering $16,664,000, are going to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in the near future, their lawyer Zviad Kordzadze says.
The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has requested the UK bank accounts of TBC Bank founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze be frozen.
TBC Bank co-founder Mamuka Khazaradze says that the equivalent of more than $16 million has been frozen on his accounts and on those of co-founder Badri Japaridze per a request of the Prosecutor’s Office.