Georgia’s ex-Defence Minister Kezerashvili “revealed” as “international scammer” in BBC investigation - PM
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday commented on the BBC investigation involving the country’s wanted former Defence Minister. Photo: Government press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the British Broadcasting Corporation’s investigation that alleged links of Georgia’s wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili in an international fraud scheme had led to “truth” being “revealed” in the dealings of the former official, whom he called an “international scammer”.
Garibashvili was commenting on the BBC report that said the Panama Papers - the 11.5 million documents leaked in 2016 to show financial dealings of wealthy individuals and officials across the world - had shown Kezerashvili to be at the centre of the scheme, in which fake call centre operators pretending to represent legitimate agencies offered investment opportunities to their targets in Europe while defrauding them of funds.
In his comments at the weekly Government meeting, the PM stressed European citizens had suffered the losses of about one billion euros in the fraudulent scheme, with Kezerashvili using a portion of the money to fund the “radical wing” of the domestic Georgian opposition.
The head of the Government also noted the country’s law enforcement agencies had been cooperating with German investigative services for two years and made “significant contributions” to solving the case.
Garibashvili claimed it was “sad and catastrophic” to see a Georgian citizen who “earlier robbed the country’s armed forces” later develop a scheme to “rob European pensioners”, in reference to Kezerashvili’s conviction of embezzlement of funds during his time in office in Georgia.
I want to tell our European friends that when they meet representatives of radical Georgian opposition groups, they should remember they are funded by the money defrauded from their citizens”, Garibashvili said.
He also urged the part of the domestic opposition to “apologise” instead of being engaged in “destructive actions”, and “make explanations” to both Georgian and European citizens over the sources of their funding.
Kezerashvili is wanted in Georgia for embezzlement of state funds during his time as the Defence Minister in the United National Movement Government between 2006-2008, with the Tbilisi Court of Appeals last month upholding the City Court verdict on the case and ordering him to pay €5,060,000 in compensation to the Ministry.
Eurasianet, an independent news organisation based at the US Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, on Friday said questions were mounting in Georgia about the political influence of the wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili after a BBC investigation had identified him as the “lynchpin” of a global scam network.
A fraudulent scheme linked with David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, by an investigation of the British Broadcasting Company has cost at least 33,000 victims in Europe an estimated €89 million, Eurojust said on Thursday.
The United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Thursday said the investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation on alleged links of the wanted former Defence Minister David Kazerashvili with a fraud scheme against European citizens was an “important component” and said she hoped the Georgian authorities would have the opportunity to investigate the allegations in its own inquiry.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the BBC investigation that alleged links between the wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili and a scheme defrauding European pensioners was a source of a “scandal” for members of the European Parliament who had claimed the former official was a media manager being “persecuted” in Georgia in a resolution adopted by the EP.
Georgia’s wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili on Tuesday said the British Broadcasting Corporation’s investigation that alleged his links to an international fraud scheme was a product of a journalist of the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, whom he accused of a smear campaign for damaging his “business reputation”.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker in the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday responded to the announcement of the country’s wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili of intentions to hand over half of his 51 percent share in the domestic Formula TV to the channel’s staff, by alleging the former official was “attempting to distance himself” from the media outlet after his “damaged reputation” following allegations of his participation in an international fraud scheme.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday highlighted “interest” from unspecified groups to see the wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili fund “revolutionary processes” in the country with “his bloody, dirty money”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said he was “astonished” to see the United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan “stand up” for the wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili with comments on allegations of the latter’s involvement in an international fraud scheme.
Maka Botchorishvii, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, on Friday said a number of resolutions by the European Parliament had involved “a number of inaccuracies” in their portrayal of Georgian domestic politics, and urged MEPs to “seek more information” before adopting decisions on related topics.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Monday said the recent investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation showed “everyone in Georgia” that David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister in the United National Movement Government, was “robbing European pensioners” through an international fraud scheme.
Georgian Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Monday said the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office was involved in a “large-scale” transnational investigation on a fraudulent call centre scheme that had defrauded European citizens over the years.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said “blurring lines of the political and the criminal” was never a good idea, only delaying justice, political compromise and “ultimately peace”.