Cartu Group’s Employees Detained for Money Laundering

Officers from the Old Tbilisi Police within the Tbilisi Main Police Department detained employees of the Cartu Group for laundering particularly large amount of money. Bidzina Ivanishvili’s press-center released special statement about the fact.

“Georgian government started open, aggressive and criminal campaign against Bidzina Ivanishvili. On October 18, 2011, at 5:00 pm businessman Ivanishvili’s Bank Cartu was attacked. The cash-in-transit van of the Cartu Bank, which had just left the head office of the Bank of Georgia was stopped by special unit and police officers; six employees of the bank were detained and the van was taken away which was transporting particularly large amount of money of the Cartu Bank. The governmental officials committed violent act. The action degrades the Constitution of Georgia and all international norms. We request immediate release of the detainees and return of the Cartu Bank’s property. It was unprecedented fact of politically motivated prosecution. We call upon the civil society institutions, diplomatic corps and international organizations to promptly respond to the fact,” the statement of the press-center.

According to Ivanishvili’s press-center, the tellers of the Cartu Bank Inga Javakhia, Irma Ketishvili, Lia Magradze, Nato Davituliani and money-collectors – Archil Japarashvili and Zaza Kavelashvili were detained.

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