Prosecutor’s Office Sends Case Materials on National Movement’s Assembly Funding to Monitoring Service

Interpresnews

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated that it has sent criminal case materials on the National Movement’s illicit funding of party assemblies in eleven towns in Georgia to the Financial Monitoring Service at the State Audit Office.

On September 8, 2012, the United National Movement (UNM) held assemblies in 11 towns in Georgia. Secretary General of the UNM Mikheil Machavariani hired yellow minibuses to take people to Zugdidi; a total of 39,900 lari were allocated from the UNM budget for the drivers’ salaries. However, the procurement of a large amount of fuel necessary for transportation was carried out through illicit means, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs was involved.

The investigation concluded that, under the supervision of former Deputy Minister of Interior Nikoloz Dzimtseishvili and Head of Constitutional Security Department Levan Kardava, coupons for 54,000 liters of diesel were handed to Aleksandre Kobalia, the UNM representative and Zugdidi District Governor; the latter gave the coupons to the drivers of 393 minibuses.

The investigation further found that on September 23, 2012, Tbilisi vice-mayor Davit Alavidze paid transportation fees equaling 120,000 lari that were necessary for the organization of the UNM assembly in Zugdidi, potentially constituting an illegal donation to the political party.

Since the investigation found a possible violation of the Organic Law of Georgia on Political Union of Citizens, materials were sent to the Financial Monitoring Service of Political Parties regarding the following facts:

1. On September 6, 2012, N. Dzimtseishvili gave coupons for 54 tons of diesel, worth 126,900 lari, to the UNM that is alleged illicit donation..

2. On September 22, 2012, the UNM paid 120,000 lari, in cash, to the company Tbilisi Mikroavtobusi, that is alleged illicit donation..

3. On September 28, 2012, the UNM paid another 56,000 lari cash to Tbilisi Mikroavtobusi; alleged illicit donation.

“All the aforementioned expenditures might be considered illegal donations, because legal entities do not have the right to make donations, while private persons are authorized to make donations up to 60,000 lari (Chapter III, Articles 26 and 27 of the Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens),” read the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office.