Kaladze: Seizing Bank Accounts of TBC Founders has no Connection with Politics

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the Georgian Dream ruling party, has responded to the fact of seizing bank accounts of co-founders of JSC TBC Bank, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.

He claimed the seizure of their bank accounts has no connection to either the Anaklia Port Project (founded by Mamuka Khazaradze) or politics.

“The investigation was launched earlier than Khazaradze’s statement about establishing a new public movement and getting involved in politics. So, let’s wait for the investigation, there is a specific topic that is being investigated. It has nothing to do with Anaklia Port," Kaladze said.

The bank accounts of TBC Bank co-founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have been seized, Khazaradze reported on his Facebook page yesterday.

“All the bank accounts of Badri Japaridze and I were seized at the request of the Prosecutor's Office and under a court ruling. This action serves only one purpose: to bring an end to the public movement we have announced and to all ongoing charity and business projects, including Anaklia. You can not scare us! We continue to fight!” Khazaradze wrote.

The Prosecutor's Office reports that they applied to court with the motion to seize the bank accounts of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, having officially charged the founders of JSC TBC Bank in July. The two are accused of laundering a total sum of $16 754 000.

“Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze are charged for the laundering of $16,754.000, as a result of which they received a large amount of income,” said the Prosecutor General's Office.

The Prosecutor Office of Georgia launched an investigation into money laundering by the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TBC Bank on 2 August 2018.

Mamuka Khazaradze, Georgian businessman and the founder of TBC Bank, recently announced the launch of the new public movement, making the relevant statement on July 9.

Khazaradze now says he believes the seizing their bank accounts was the state's revenge against him for announcing the establishment of a new, pro-western public movement. 

Related Story: 

Bank Accounts of TBC Bank Founders Seized

By Ana Dumbadze