Prosecutor’s Office charges businessman Avtandil Tsereteli over TBC Bank case
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, August 23
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia (POG) has charged businessman Avtandil Tsereteli in connection to TBC Bank case. Tsereteli is also the father of TV Pitveli owner, Vakhtang Tsereteli.
Tsereteli has been charged for assisting the legalization of $ 16,664,000 illicit income committed in a group, as a result of which the participants received a large amount of money. POG says they apply to the Tbilisi City Court with the motion to use preventive measure against him.
The founders of TBC Bank, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have also been charged over the same case. The POG stated on July 24 that they decided to charge Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze for the legalization of $16,754,000, as a result of which, they received a large amount of income. The investigation into the case was launched on 2 August 2018. Therefore, they are accused of money laundering.
Tsereteli has been summoned to the POG for questioning and in addition, Khazaradze and Japaridze have also been summoned again to the agency. As the Prosecutor's Office explains, they plan to clarify Khazaradze and Japaridze charges that have been brought against them.
Avtandil Tsereteli rejects all charges and says he has not participated in any criminal activity. The statement was made by the lawyer of the accused man, Kakha Tsereteli.
The lawyer says as soon as the businessman is in the country, he will go to the Prosecutor’s Office and answer all questions.
Vakhtang Tsereteli, founder of TV Pirveli wrote on the social network that his father is ready to arrive at the Prosecutor’s Office on August 29, because he is abroad right now.
He says the charges against his father are an attempt from the authorities to silence and seize TV Pirveli.
“It has been the third year you have been trying everything. You have tried all the ways and methods, but nothing has worked out. Now, you try to scare and blackmail me through the most valuable person in my life and you launched this absurd criminal case. I repeat that you can’t take TV Pirveli! We stay beyond influences – in the center of the developments. Until I am alive, the TV Channel will not shut down and will not work in accordance with any trend. My father Avtandil Tsereteli supports us too,” he wrote, addressing the authorities.
Opposition parties say the charges against Tsereteli are orchestrated by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) founder and Chair Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Otar Kakhidze, an MP of the European Georgia party says with such steps Ivanishvili is trying to somehow win in 2020 parliamentary elections.
“His [Ivanishvili’s] efforts will fail because the public sees everything very well. Consequently, with these steps, he will not be able to silence TV Pirveli and change public opinion to his advantage,” he said.
