The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has commented on the report that the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia has informed the relevant body in the UK that TBC Bank co-founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze are charged for alleged money laundering and that their finances in the UK might be of criminal origin.

As the Prosecutor’s Office explains that the UK has not been addressed by the state authorities from Georgia in the frames of anti-terrorism cooperation and the word “anti-terrorism” is not mentioned in any document.

Moreover, The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia claims that Mamuka Khazaradze’s lawyer published the case materials imperfectly and they were deliberately distorted in order to mislead the society. The Prosecutor’s Office said that the lawyer of Khazaradze and Japaridze published two documents – one the motion, requesting legal assistance and another – information, received from the UK about the financial activities, saying as it was the response to the motion.

“We would like to explain to the public that these two documents have nothing to do with each other. The motion for providing a legal assistance was sent to the UK in accordance with the procedures of the Law of Georgia on International Cooperation in Criminal Justice through the channels of international cooperation of the Ministry of Justice. The Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia has not received a response to this motion and the materials so far, and this is well known to the defense as they have been provided with complete case materials.

As for the information received from the UK about Mamuka Khazaradze's financial activities - it was obtained through an international channel of co-operation between financial monitoring services, which has no connection with the investigation, and this letter is not and cannot be a response to the motion for legal assistance. These procedures are known to any lawyer. In addition, the documents published by the lawyer of defendant Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze clearly show that the motion of legal aid was sent on June 03, 2019, while Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze had not been charged and Mamuka Khazaradze was mentioned in the document as “accused of money laundering.” Just this information proves that these two documents have nothing to do with each other. Even in the materials, which are pulled out of context, clearly show that there was not any cooperation in the frames of “ant-terrorism” operation and the word “anti-terrorism” is not mentioned in any document. The defence side is fully informed about it, but despite of it, they published the case materials imperfectly and they were deliberately distorted aiming to mislead the society,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze accuse the authorities of new repressive measures against them.

According to Japaridze, the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia has informed the relevant body of the UK that Khazaradze and Japaridze are charged for alleged money laundering and that their finances in the UK might be of criminal origin.

They said relevant British authorities were addressed by the state authorities from Georgia in the frames of anti-terrorism cooperation.

source: IPN