Georgian PM says wanted former Minister “funding Georgian politics, polarisation” is “worrying”

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said David Kezerashvili, the country’s wanted former Defence Minister, was “funding Georgian politics and polarisation” in the country, and described the alleged circumstance as “worrying”.

Kobakhidze alleged Kezerashvili was facilitating the alleged funding with money accumulated “first in Georgia by robbing the army and the business”, before he also “robbed European pensioners”, in reference to the former official’s alleged involvement in a scheme of fraudulent call centre services defrauding citizens in Europe by offering them fake investment opportunities.

“Kezerashvili has admitted that he finances political parties, media outlets and non-governmental organisations in Georgia, which is naturally worrying. He also directly recognized violations of the law - for example, the financing of political parties is nowhere to be seen [or] declared, which he has actually recognized”, the PM added.

The Government head added it was “even more disturbing” and an “absolutely unacceptable practice” that a “person who robs European pensioners being able to enjoy free movement in European Union member states”.

Kobakhidze said the “most important thing is that the public draws appropriate conclusions and these conclusions should be reflected in decisions”, in reference to the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

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 year upholding the City Court verdict on the case and ordering him to pay €5,060,000 in compensation to the Ministry.

The same year, the British Broadcasting Corporation report said 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 a 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.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia last week announced “new evidence” had been uncovered linking Kezerashvili to a “transnational fraud and money laundering scheme” involving a “criminal group” between 2019 and 2021. It said over one million dollars had been transferred to Kezerashvili and his relatives’ bank accounts during the period when the European citizens were defrauded through the scam.