Bakradze answers prosecutor’s questions
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, September 1
The United National Movement’s Davit Bakradze had to answer the questions of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on August 29.
Several days ago, the Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an inquiry to investigate the allegations concerning the United National Movement (UNM) Parliament Member David Bakradze, who is accused of not fully declaring his assets.
The Prosecutor’s Office is investigating claims Bakradze concealed ?261,757 (754,700 GEL) at the 2014 Asset Declaration of Public Officials.
In particular, the probe aimed to examine the origin of the money which was deposited in two separate bank accounts in the name of Bakradze and his wife with London-based HSBC bank.
Bakradze served as the chairman of Georgia’s Parliament from June 7, 2008, to October 21, 2012, and during this time had to indicate at the asset declaration if he or his family members had cash worth more than 4,000 GEL.
Bakaradze spent 6 hours at the Prosecutor’s Office. He stated that he could not answer the questions owing to the MP’s immunity. However, according to him, there were questions asked that should be responded to.
Bakradze said that he provided the Chief-Prosecutor’s Office with the full financial picture of his assets. He stressed that the money in question was his father-in-law’s, gained after selling his own apartment.
“Then he gave the money to my wife and my children will be able to use the assets after 10 years. As the money could not be used for ten years, I could not write about it in my declaration,” Bakradze said.
The UNM members had stated that the case was related to political persecution. However, majority MPs stressed that the issue had nothing to do with politics.
