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State Audit Service Fined Three Political Unions

December 11, 2016
 
Natia Gogolashvili

As a result of the pre-election period monitoring, the State Audit Service fined three political unions with total 378 200 GEL. Seven donators of the political union State for People were fined with 187 000 GEL; 1 donator of the Georgian Patriot of Alliance was fined with 183 200 GEL. Donators to the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia were fined with 8 000 GEL for illegal donation. At the same time, 7 political parties and 12 candidates were fined for not submitting the requested information to the SAS. 

On December 5, the State Audit Service published a report of the monitoring of the costs and revenues of the 2016 Parliamentary Election campaign. 
The SAS studied the legality of the donations by 1016 physical persons and 84 legal entities to the political parties during the pre-election campaign. By now, the SAS has questioned 120 persons; among them are 35 donators of the Georgian Dream, 12 donators of the United National Movement, 42 donators of the State for People and 18 donators of the Georgian Alliance of Patriots. 

Secretary general of the Georgian Alliance of Patriots Irma Inashvili said the decision of the Audit Service is illegal. “They fined the Georgian Dream only with 8 000 GEL while they were donated with millions GEL. Neither UNM was fined. It is a pity that this institution is a tool of political oppression and it is still used to punish unwilling political parties. We believe the fine is illegal. Apart to 180 000 GEL fine, the political party was fined with additional 90 000 GEL. It means that a political party like us will be financially destroyed. It is oppression and terror,” Irma Inashvili said.

The leader of the New Georgia Giorgi Vashadze is sure the court will make right decision and will not detect anything suspicious in the activities of the donators. “I hope the government will not use the SAS as a tool of political oppression. I am sure incomes of these people will be proved in the court,” Giorgi Vashadze said.
First deputy head of the State Audit Service Nino Lomjaria said the decision to fine donators is not made only by the SAS; the court strictly controls the process and makes final decision after considering the concrete cases.

“When we study donations, we gain information about donators’ incomes and their expenditures from the banks and revenue service as well as other personal information. Afterwards we analyze the gained information and make decision whether the donator could have enough savings to donate the political party. There are cases when people have loans in the banks and cannot pay them. However, there were cases during court hearings when donators simply protested the credit organizations and preferred to donate to the political party. In similar cases the court concludes that it is personal decision. That means, the court does not fine a donator if there is not absolutely absurd situation that the person could have that much income,” Nino Lomjaria told Kurieri, Rustavi 2.

According to the State Audit Service, during the election period (June-October) political parties and independent candidates received total 29 212 382 GEL donation. They spent much more money during the elections and it amounted to 39 472 486 GEL. 

According to the declared incomes of the political parties, the Georgian Dream received the most donation (19 005 219 GEL); as for the other political parties, the State for People received 4 278 541, 67 GEL, UNM received 1 063 514, 50 GEL, the Georgian Alliance of Patriots – 1 019 650, 10 GEL, Free Democrats – 686 945 GEL. Other election subjects received 3 158 512 GEL donation in total.

As for the declared expenditures, in the election period (June-October) the political parties and independent candidates had the following costs: Georgian Dream – 22 212 663 GEL; State for People – 4 396 452, 40 GEL, Georgian Alliance of Patriots – 2 391 046 GEL, UNM – 2 524 362 GEL, Free Democrats – 1 694 759, 53 GEL and other election subjects spent 6 253 204 GEL in total.

Nowadays, the State Audit Service has summoned 40 more persons to be questioned. 

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