Wanted ex-Minister Kezerashvili has confirmed funding of domestic opposition, TVs with money “stolen from European pensioners”
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the country’s wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili had “confirmed” he was an “oligarch” and was funding domestic opposition and TV channels with funds “stolen from European pensioners”.
The Government head was making a reference to a BBC report last month on Kezerashvili’s alleged links with a fraudulent scheme defrauding European pensioners.
In the programme, the public broadcaster 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 him 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.
Shortly before the publication of the report, Kezerashvili on April 3 told the Georgian-based Formula TV channel – where he owns shares – that he was funding “pro-Western groups” in the country that requested support from him.
In his press comments on Tuesday marking the Allied Victory Day in World War II, Garibashvili stressed his Government was “actively cooperating” with European investigative agencies over the fraudulent scheme and added “everything will be clarified in the end”.
He also slammed domestic opposition groups for their “silence” over Kezerashvili’s alleged involvement in the scheme “defrauding one billion dollars from European pensioners”.
A robbery of the century took place, and Kezerashvili and domestic opposition groups funded by him still have an ambition to come to power. This is alarming”, Garibashvili said, and urged domestic media to challenge the opposition with questions on the scheme.
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 in March upholding the City Court verdict on the case and ordering him to pay €5,060,000 in compensation to the Ministry.
