Ex-Defence Minister “attempting to distance himself” from TV channel after BBC revelations - Parliament Vice Speaker
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker in the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday responded to David Kezerashvili’s announcement over the domestic Formula TV channel. Photo: Archil Talakvadze’s Facebook
Tweet 
Share
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.
The comment came after Kezerashvili’s announcement, itself coming after a BBC report last week 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.
Free journalism is incompatible with the fact that Kezerashvili, with a high probability, is funding the media with funds earned through international fraud. Therefore, this move seems to be about shielding the channel [from responsibility], rather than a handover of its shares”, Talakvadze said, adding Kezerashvili was trying to “temporarily remove the burden of his own damaged reputation” from the outlet.
The former official, who last week rejected his links with the fraud scheme and announced a legal dispute against the BBC to “restore his image”, on Tuesday announced the handover while saying he was ready to fully concede the shares after “the end of the oligarchic rule” in Georgia.
Citing Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister, in his reference, Kezerashvili claimed he had “no plans” to abandon efforts to support “pro-Western” groups in domestic politics until the “removal of Ivanishvili’s influence” and the country’s “final entry to the European space”.
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.
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”.
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.
The British public broadcaster BBC on Wednesday revealed its investigation into a fraudulent “call centre” scheme involving David Kezerashvili, a wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, in a report that detailed a global network of a scam operation targeting customers.
The Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the City Court verdict of embezzlement of state funds against David Kezerashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, and ordered him to pay a €5,060,000 compensation to the Ministry.
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.
Law enforcement professionals from the Investigative Department of the Georgian Finance Ministry on Friday searched a location in central Tbilisi in the latest operation against fraudulent transnational call centre schemes.