Georgian PM says wanted former official “received guarantees” in exchange for financial support for “collective UNM opposition”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday claimed David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, had “received guarantees” in exchange for “having to spend money in favour of the collective United National Movement opposition” in the country, calling the alleged circumstance a “worrying development”.

Kobakhidze alleged the “Global War Party” - in reference to unspecified political forces in the West who allegedly seek to create a revolutionary scenario in Georgia and involve the country into opening a “second front” amid the ongoing war in Ukraine - was “allowing Kezerashvili to freely move throughout Europe”.

The opposition part of political processes in Georgia has been funded for a long time through Kezerashvili, including election processes. This is not a new development. He has received guarantees in exchange for having to spend money in favour of the collective United National Movement opposition in Georgia, which is also a rather worrying development, although he also does not have many resources to have any significant impact on the election results in our country”, he alleged.

The PM further recalled a fraudulent scheme linked in media reports to Kezerashvili by claiming the wanted former official was “still robbing European pensioners, [and] before that he was robbing the Georgian army and Georgian businesspeople”.

“Even under these conditions, his free movement in Europe has been ensured. In return, he is tasked with funding the radical opposition in Georgia”, the Government head claimed.

He also alleged Kezerashvili had held a meeting with a “narrow circle” last year to voice his plans of “spending $15 million” on the upcoming elections in the country, including “through funding of NGOs”.

Kobakhidze also highlighted the approval rating of “60 percent” of the ruling party among the public and said the party wanted to “increase this support as much as possible, because we need very high legitimacy”.