State Security Service head files lawsuit against TV channels for reports alleging links to criminal case
Liluashvili has filed a lawsuit against Mtavari Arkhi and Formula TV channels.
Photo: reginfo.ge
Tweet 
Share
The Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Grigol Liluashvili, has filed a lawsuit against Mtavari Arkhi and Formula TV channels after the media outlets aired reports alleging links between him and the criminal case dating back to October and relating to fraudulent operations set up by a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens in Georgia.
Liluashvili's lawyer, Mamuka Gviniashvili, said the lawsuit was a response to the reports aired by the channels several months ago about the criminal enterprise known as the ‘call centres’ case, where seven individuals were arrested after fraudulently laundering sums of over 10 million Euros from citizens of European countries.
A statement by the state agency on Friday rejected allegations in the reports linking Liluashvili with the case and said they were parts of a “campaign built on lies” and designed to “discredit the [service] and its head”.
Beside the two opposition-minded TV channels, Liluashvili’s lawsuit has also been filed against Levan Khabeishvili, a member of the United National Movement, the largest opposition party in the country.
The criminal endeavour was exposed in cooperation between Georgian and German law enforcement, and revealed by the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia in October. Citizens of Germany were shown to have been extorted through the use of fraudulent “services” of the “call centres” set up by the criminal group.
In its statement countering the allegations of government’s soft attitude to the case, the State Security Service explained it was not directly investigating the crimes due to articles in the Criminal Code of Georgia that placing the type of criminal enterprises outside the service’s mandate.
The statement from the service said the public was "aware that the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia effectively investigate cases of fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, for which several dozen people have been prosecuted".
The head of the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) Grigol Liluashvili has stated earlier today that ‘interesting facts and proceedings await us ahead’ following the disclosure of an alleged plan to overthrow the government involving the obstruction of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer to the prison hospital who has been on hunger strike since October 1.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has said that the former official of the United National Movement (UNM), David Kezerashvili, allegedly stands behind the fraudulent call centres. Garibashvili claims that Kezerashvili, who held the position of the minister of defense of Georgia under the UNM government, supposedly organised a criminal investment network operating as call centres.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) mayoral candidates in Kareli and Chiatura regions, Zaza Guliashvili and Givi Modebadze, have filed a lawsuit in Tbilisi City Court against the opposition-minded Mtavari-Arkhi TV channel and its head Nika Gvaramia for spreading fake information about them.
The Georgian law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with Germany, have arrested seven members of an international criminal group in Georgia which ‘fraudulently embezzled millions of euros from German citizens and laundering of illegal income.’
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has instructed Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili to investigate activities of call centres in the country, following a lawsuit stemming from allegations related to an October case of fraudulent operations set up by a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens in Georgia.
Five individuals have been arrested, with wider proceedings launched against a group of 17 persons, by the Prosecutor's Office and interior ministry for extortion of tens of millions of GEL from foreign citizens and money laundering.
A total of 46 call centres operating in Georgia have suspended their activities while being investigated by the Ministry of Finance for alleged “illegal activities”, Lasha Khutsishvili, the Finance Minister of Georgia, said on Monday.
Grigol Liluashvili, the head of the Georgian State Security Service, on Thursday hailed the “genuine contribution” of the Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office and the ministries of Internal Affairs and Finance to combating an international fraudulent scheme reportedly involving David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia under the United National Movement Government.