CRA Changed Data about the President’s Family Property?

Rusiko Machaidze, newspaper Resonance

The parliamentary majority ignored the request of the MP Bagaturia to set up investigation commission to study financial sources of the president’s family members. They explained their ignore by famous statement: “The opposition wants to make a masquerade and we will not allow them to do it.”

However, MP Jondi Bagaturia spoke about many interesting issues. In addition to his early statements about the properties of the President’s family members, he lately declared that the President’s family members had fabricated the questionable document.

“On February 29, next day of the President’s annual speech at the Parliament of Georgia, Association of Classic Music, which was registered at the Civil Registration Agency as a property of the president’s wife, mother and mother-in-law and which had illegally received 1 100 000 GEL from the Georgian oppositionist billionaire Ivanishvili, filed a petition to the CRA and requested to amend the constituent protocol. This petition was satisfied on the same day and all three founders were removed from the protocol. Apparently, they forgot that we hold the old extract from the document which demonstrates that the mother-in-law, mother and wife of the President of Georgia founded the Association. Consequently, they cannot hide the liability and moreover, it is worse that we have witnessed the President’s attempt to hide the trace. However, the president cannot escape this trap and he adds new mistakes to his old ones,” Jondi Bagaturia said.

MP Jondi Bagaturia raised the issue of the President’s financial conditions during Saakashvili’s annual speech at the Parliament. Afterwards, he delivered all documents related with the issue to the diplomatic corps in Georgia. One of the main issues to be discussed during the government’s hour scheduled for the next Thursday was the property of the president’s relatives; the oppositionist fraction Union for Justice had requested it.

The Property of the First Lady

The Fraction sent relevant questions to the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs and inquired about president’s resolutions based on which state properties were assigned to the President’s mother.

The Fraction members requested clarification why the government had not found the donation of 1 101 294 GEL by the Charity Foundation Kartu to the Radio Station owned by the first lady illegal. The Charity Foundation belongs to Saakashvili’s main political rival Bidzina Ivanishvili.

To remind the readers, in accordance to the Georgian legislation, family member of a public figure cannot receive a present with the value of more than 1 000 GEL per year and each time, the maximum price of the present shall be 500 GEL.

Besides that, the Fraction members wondered why this issue was not mentioned in the financial declaration of the President’s family. “Was criminal case launched against the President on abovementioned circumstances and are investigation operations underway or not?” the parliament’s opposition fraction members ask.

During the Government’s Hour at the Parliament, Deputy Minister of Justice Tinatin Burjaliani answered that arguments of the Fraction Union for Justice accusing the president’s family of corruption “contain factual inaccuracies.”

Burjaliani said: “Based on the president’s resolution, non-agriculture land was assigned to the Black Sea International University for normative price. I would like to underline that it was ordinary sell-purchase operation.”

As for the 1 101 294 GEL donation to the Radio Station “Muza” by the Charity Foundation “Kartu” and its absence from the president’s financial declaration, Burjaliani said, that Association of Classic Music “Muza” is non-profit legal entity and does not have commercial purposes.

She said that any donation or present to the Musa promotes classic music and its popularization in Georgia.

“The Association founders and members do not receive any other material benefits from it,” Burjaliani said and added that unlawful advantage of a person is necessary element of corruptive crime.

She underscored that there are no corruptive elements discovered in those arguments; so investigation and criminal procedures were not launched at all.

Property of President’s Mother

“The president’s mother Giuli Alasania is monopolist in the education system. She gained the property after her son became a president and before that she was ordinary scientist,” Bagaturia said at the briefing on March 21 and presented scheme of Giuli Alasania’s activities.

“There are two monopolist clans in Georgia. One of them is run by the President’s mother with Turkish capital and the second - by Russian money of former minister of economy Kakha Bendukidze,” Bagaturia said.

The MP said Giuli Alasania was ordinary scientist before 2004, when Saakashvili became president. Afterwards, she founded Georgian University where Giuli Alasania and Manana Sanadze, her friend, own 37.5 % share each; President’s cousin Nikoloz Alasania and Eduard Robert Raup own 12.5 -12.5 % shares in it.

Bagaturia presented slides and extracts from the CRA about Alasania’s ownership of various institutions.

The MP spoke about the president’s mother’s links with several other high-schools. He presented an extract from the CRA, which states that Giuli Alasania and Manana Sanadze are directors of the Ltd Georgian University’s Public School (the University owns 100% share of the school).

One more issue – Giuli Alasania and Manana Sanadze are directors of the Georgian University’s Sport School (whose 100% owner is the University).

Georgian University also owns Ltd Café “Khadili” who hosts about 1000-1500 guests every day, as Bagaturia’s representatives concluded as a result of monitoring.

MP Jondy Bagaturia also spoke about Georgian-American University. He presented an extract from the CRA which proves that Georgian University owns 14% of it.

Oppositionist MP presented the President’s resolution during Saakashvili’s speech in the Parliament. According to this resolution, the President assigned more than 10 hectares land to the Black Sea International University, whose founder and pro-rector Giuli Alasania is.

Bagaturia said the Black Sea University is the chain which connects the President’s family with foreign capital. He thinks this cooperation is dangerous for the country.

“Turkish citizen Fethullah Gulen stands behind this scheme, who calls himself a Islam Preacher on his own website (it has Georgian version too). He is member of radical Islamist Group and was arrested in Turkey several times,” Bagaturia said.

The MP said Gulen is rich and his business company “Chaglar” has entered the Black Sea University with financial capital. His website states that Chaglar’s investment in the Black Sea University is exemplary for others.

In addition, Jondi Bagaturia said this Company owns several educational institutions in Georgia. They are: Demirel Kindergarten, Tbilisi School/Lyceum “Skhivi”, Batumi R.Shashin Primary School, Kutaisi Niko Nikoladze Primary School; Rustavi Rustaveli Art Primary School; training courses and language center of the Batumi University, Demirel Private College, Nikoloz Tsereteli International School; Batumi R.Shahin Primary Lyceum, Kutaisi Niko Nikoladze Lyceum, Rustavi Rustaveli Lyceum, training course and language center of the Marneuli University.

“The president’s mother managed to get hold of about 16 educational organizations after Saakashvili became a president,” Bagaturia said.

The MP added that Turkish government arrested Fethullah Gulen several times. Although he is not sought at present, Georgian law enforcement should get interested in his activities in Georgia. “We do not oppose Turkish or Iranian capital in Georgia but when it is related with radical Islamist group and casts some doubts, it is issue of state security,” Jondi Bagaturia said.

Majority and Minority Answer

Bagaturia presented abovementioned documents at the parliament session on March 30. Although the presentation happened in almost empty session hall, the majority found time to scold him.

With the initiative of the Fraction “Union for Justice, the following issue was added to the agenda: “Creation of temporary investigation commission of the Parliament of Georgia to find out the corruptive facts committed by the president, his family members and other governmental high-ranking officials and to properly respond to them.”

Before starting the discussion of the issue, the session speaker Gigi Tsereteli announced only part of the topic title” “Creation of investigation commission”; Jondi Bagaturia did not miss this fact and clarified it by Tsereteli’s awkward situation to mention certain names.

In respond to it, Tsereteli could not see any motive for criticism and could not understand Bagaturia’s complaints about short titles of issues on the session agenda. Finally, Bagaturia presented the documents in almost empty hall and unsuccessfully searched MPs Akaki Minashvili and Goka Gabashvili – Knights Fighting against Corruption – in the hall. “I wish Knights Fighting against Corruption – Gabashvili and Minashvili were here,” Bagaturia said.

After the presentation, the majority representatives stated that Bagaturia wanted to please people from “Glass Palace” and they will not allow him to make masquerades.

The poll also had expectable results and only fraction Union for Justice supported the creation of the commission. 70 majority members voted against it although their factual number in the session hall was much lower. MPs from the Christian-Democrats did not appear in the session hall at all.

Source:  http://www.ambebi.ge/politika/50534-sajaro...mebs-cvlis.html