TBC ბანკი დაLiberty ბანკი რუსულ ბანკებს უნდა მიჰყიდონ: მართლა? გასულ კვირას საქართველოში საინტერესო ინფორმაციამ გაიჟღერა. არჩევნებში დამარცხებულმა პრეზიდენტმა სააკაშვილმა განაცხადა, რომ TBCბანკი და Libertyბანკი მალე რუსული ბანკების საკუთრება გახდებოდა, თუმცა მალევე Liberty ბანკმა Facebook-ის გვერდზე გამოქვეყნა განცხადება, რომელშიც ნათქვამია, რომ გავრცელებული ინფორმაცია სიმართლეს არ შეესაბამებოდა. მოგვიანებით TBC ბანკმა იგივე გაიმეორა. ეს იყო სააკაშვილის უცნაური შეცდომა, რომლის ინტერესშიც რატომღაც შედის მსგავსი ხმების გავრცელება. როდესაც პრეს კონფერენციის ბოლოს სააკაშვილს აცნობეს, რომ ბანკებმა ინფორმაციის უარყვეს, მან განაცხადა, რომ ის იქნებოდა მოხარული თუკი მისი ინფორმაცია აღმოჩნდებოდა მცდარი, თუმცა მაინც დასძინა, რომ ეს ინფორმაცია რეალური იყო, რომელიც მან ეროვნული ბანკისგან მიიღო. რა თქმა უნდა პრეზიდენტი დარწმუნებული იყო ამ ამბის სიმართლეში, ვინაიდან იგი მისი უახლოესი მეგობრების მიერ იყო ინფორმირებული. მოგვიანებით TBCბანკმა განაცხადა: „საქართველოს პრეზიდენტმა ახლახანს გააკეთა სატელევიზიო განცხადება, თითქოს რუსეთის უმსხვილესმა ბანკმა „Alfa“–მ შეისყიდა TBC ბანკის აქციები, ჩვენ გვინდა ოფიციალურად განვაცხადოთ, რომ არანაირი მოლაპარაკებები რუსულ ან ნებისმიერი სხვა ბანკებთან არ მიმდინარეობს და მსგავსი არც უახლოეს მომავალშია მოსალოდნელი.“
მიშა სულაც არ არის სულელი, უბრალოდ მას სურს თავი ყველაზე „ანტი-რუსულ“
ადამიანად წარმოაჩინოს, რაც მისი აზრით საზოგადოების მხარდაჭერას მოუტანს
და დაეხმარება კვლავ დაიბრუნოს ძალაუფლება, რომელიც მან ოქტომბერში
გამართული არჩევნების შედეგად დაკარგა, ამის განხორციელებას კი იგი
ახლანდელი მთვრობის ხალხის თვალში კრემლის დივიზიის წარმომადგენლად
წარმოჩენით ცდილობს. მას აღარ აქვს პრეტენზია იყოს საქართველოს და
ქართველი ხალხის პრეზიდენტი და ყველაფერს აკეთებს რათა „კოჰაბიტაცია“
განახორციელოს ახლანდელ მთვრობასთან, რომელიც ქართველმა ხალხმა
სააკაშვილის ნების საწინააღმდეგოდ აირჩია. დამარხული საიდუმლოებები
TBC ყველაზე სოლიდურ და უსაფრთხო ბანკად მოიაზრება საქართველოში, თუმცა ის
მაინც საიდუმლოებითაა მოცული და არავის სურს მათი გამომჟღავნება, ვინაიდან
ეს მისი მფარველებისათვის დიდი დარტყმა იქნება, მაგრამ თუ საქართველოს
ნამდვილად სურს დემოკრატია, მაშინ მან შესაბამის ინსტიტუციებს ადრე თუ
გვიან ყველაფერზე პასუხი უნდა მოკითხოს. ერთ-ერთი საკითხი, რომელიც დღესაც დგას არის ბადრი პატარკაციშვილისა და
ჯორჯ სოროსის საქმე. რა იყიდა სოროსმა ბანკში და შემდეგ რა გამოისყიდა?
ან რატომ იყიდა პატარკაციშვილმა ის , რაც სოროსმა გაყიდა? თავის დროზე
ამბობდნენ, რომ თითქოს ეს ტრანსაქციები იმ დროინდელ Sistema-სთან, რუსულ
საგამოძებო სამსახურთან და რუსულ და აღმოსავლურ ბანკებთან იყო კავშირში.
Sistema-ს მთვარი მენეჯერი პასუხს აგებდა საქართველოსთან დაკავშირებულ
საბანკო სექტორზე ,მას შესწავლილი ჰქონდა ფინანსები ამერიკაში და ზოგჯერ
მუშაობდა კიდეც ამერიკულ ბანკებთან. ამ პიროვნებას მოსკოვის ყოფილ მერთან
იური ლუჟკოვთანაც ჰქონდა გარკვეული კავშირები . აუცილებელი გავიაზროთ რა გავლენა იქონია პრეზიდენტ შევარდნაძის გადაყენებამ რუსეთის გავლენის სფეროებზე (პოლიტიკაში, ბიზნესში, საგამომძიებლო და სპეციალურ სამსახურებში), ის თუ რაოდენ მაღალ ინსტიტუციონალიზებული იყო ეს კავშირები, რომლებიც ამასთანავე დაკავშრებულნი იყვნენ ორგანიზებულ დანაშაულებთან. ზოგიერთი მათგანი კვლავ განაგრძობდა ვარდების რევოლუცის შემდგომ მოსულ მთვრობასთან თანამშრომლობას, თუმცა ამასთნავე ისინი საკუთარ ძალებსაც იმაგრებდნენ ქვეყანაში. მათ კვლავ შესთვაზეს ახალ მთვრობას ის ძველი წინადადებები, რომლებიც შევარდნაძისთვის უინტერესო იყო და სააკაშვილის მმართველობის პერიოდში, თამაშის წესებიც შეიცვალა. საქართველომ ფართოდ გაუღო კარი ბიზნესს და მალევე ის დაყოლიებულ იქნა საეჭვო კომპანიების მიერ თავიანთი ბინძური მოტივაციებით, რომელთა უმეტესობაც იგივე კორუმპირებული კავშრების მიერ იყო მართვადი. მოტივაციები სააკაშვილის სიტყვების შემდგომ , მრავალი განცხადება რომელიც ამ ქალაქში
თქმულა ან ნახევრად მართალია, ან მთლიანად ტყუილი. მედია ავრცელებს ბინძურ
ჭორებს და ამასობაში სააკაშვილის PR მანქანა ანადგურებს ბიზნესის იმიჯს
საქართველოში, როდესაც ამგვარი ისტორიების სუბიექტები ხდებიან ბანკები,
ამით როგორც ქვეყნის ბიზნეს კლიმატი, ასევე ეროვნული უსაფრთხოებაც
ზიანდება. საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი ცდილობს გაანადგუროს ბანკები და
დაარწმუნოს ინვესტორები რომ მათგან თავი შორს დაიჭიროს… სააკაშვილს სურს
გააკოტროს ბანკები, რათა შემდგონში მის კართან დგომა მოუწიოთ
მათხოვრებივით დასახმარებლად. კარგად დაზეთილი PR მანქანა
სააკაშვილის სიტყვებმა მთელი მსოფლიო მოიცვა და ახლა პრეზიდენტი თავისი კარგად დაზეთილი PR მანქანითა და ნაციონალური მოძრაობის მეშვეობით ცდილობს რაც შეიძლება მეტი ზიანი მიაყენოს ქვეყანას რათა დაამარცხოს ახლანდელი მთვრობა. ყველასათვის კარგადაა ცნობილი ნაციონალების ტაქტიკა, მათ შორის ამერიკის ელჩისთვისაც. სააკაშვილი ძალიან დაძაბულია წარსული ცოდვების გამო და სწორედ ამიტომ ის დიდ საფრთხეს წარმოადგენს არა ქვეყნისთვის, არამედ საკუთარი თავისთვის და მათთვის ვინც მას მწარე დასასრულამდე უჭერს მხარს.
მანამ სანამ მსგავსი სიცრუე ვრცელდება, სისულელეა თანამშრომლობაძე საუბარი. აუცილებელია გამოძების ჩატარება რათა გაირკვეს, თუ საიდან წამოვიდა დეზინფორმაცია ამ ბანკების გაყიდვასთან დაკავშირებით. ლომის წვლილი ამ დანერგილ მითქმა-მოთქმაში პრეზიდენტის უახლოეს მოკავშირეებს მიუძღვით. ბევრმა საერთშორისო მისიებმა და საფინანსო ორგანიზაციებმა იციან: მისი პარანოია ჯერ კიდევ დაუკმაყოფილებელია.
სააკაშვილს თანდაყოლილი თვისება აქვს თავის უმანკოდ წარმოჩენის და საშიში
გადაწყვეტილებების მიღების. მისი განცხადებები ბანკების შესახებ არის
სისულელე და ეს პარანოია პრეს–კონფერენციის დროსვე გამომჟღვნდა.
წინა დღეს ნაციონალური მოძრაობის PR მანქანა მწყობრიდან გამოვიდა
როდესაც მიშა ჩახტა თავის მანქანაში და ცოლთან ერთად გავარდა
აეროპორტში დაცვის გარეშე, ეს იყო სხვა არაფერი თუ არა ტელე–შოუ
,პრეზიდენტი ვერ ხვდება , რომ მისი საქციელი უკუ რეაქციას იწვევს
საზოგადოებაში.
სააკაშვილმა მარგარეტ ტეტჩერი და ლი კვან იეუ თავის საყვარელ პოლიტიკურ გმირებად დაასახელა, თუმცა ისტორია მას ალბათ პოლ დეჩანელს უფრო მიამსგავსებს, რომელიც საფრანგეთში პროგრესული რესპუბლიკური პარტიის ლიდერი იყო და გაპრეზიდენტებიდან რამდენიმე თვეში 1920 წელს, მასთან დაკავშირებული ისეთი ინციდენტის გამო, როგორებიც იყო ელჩებთნ შეხვედრა პრაქტიკულად შიშველ მდგომარეობაში და მინისტრთა კაბინეტთან შეხვედრა ტბაში, ტანსაცმლით – გადააყენეს.
business climate. Take for instance a massive hydro station project that
has been on hold for years; it is now being renewed under what some may
consider as mysterious and less than transparent circumstances. The proposed 201 metre Khudoni Hydro Power Plant construction is planned
for high mountains of west Georgia (2010 metres above sea level) on the
River Enguri. This is the source of water where the Enguri dam already
operates. However, something bigger is in the works, and it dates back
to the period of the Soviet Union and its centralized planning efforts
that make extensive use of the Enguri River’s vast water resources for
power generation. The proposed Khudoni project was until recently on
hold, almost forgotten by all those involved stakeholders, even those in
government and environmentalists, and those who are really suppose to be
in the know. Mikheil Saakashvili, (and after Zurab Zhvania died under mysterious
circumstances) and while in government, the former PM was a staunch
environmentalist), and the Georgian government in 2005 revised the
Soviet project and began seeking outside investors. In 2007, a group of
Indian businessmen visited the Khudoni site in the Upper Svaneti region,
and gave the Georgian energy ministry a clear commitment to complete the
project. The group represented a company called “Transelectric”, which
is owned by British and Indian investors, and registered in the Virgin
Islands. Based on these promises, the Georgian government awarded the investors
the rights to build Khudoni with a price tag of 800 million USD. There
was no tender, no bidding competition or any such similar arrangement. One would have thought that they would have done one this for show, for
the sake of transparency and accountability, especially in the reform
minded government that came into power in the post 2003 Rose Revolution
period. In short, the Georgian public, as well as parliamentarians, are in the
dark as to who all are behind the biggest hydropower project currently
in their country, and even within the Energy ministry little is known
about it. There seems to have been a kind of lull after the rights to
build the dam were awarded in 2007. The energy ministry had the
impression that the group had abandoned its promises for some time. As of now, construction work may start in 2011 and take four to five
years to complete. The dam will be 201 m tall, consisting of 170 m tall
concrete arches, and lays about two thousand meters above sea level. The
generators will be able to deliver 700 MW output, which is fairly large
in an international context, and per year estimated to produce 1.5
billion kWh of energy. Environmental and social impact: six villages and about a thousand
people will be displaced. The Khudoni HPP would intensify the
devastation of forests and wildlife habitat, the loss of river species
populations and the degradation of upstream catchments areas owing to
the flooding of the reservoir area in one of the most amazing highland
regions of Georgia. There are serious environmental concerns, both in
terms of changed ecosystem (forests) and change in the flow of the
river. Environmentalists think it will result in catastrophic
consequences to the local habitat. There is also question as where much of the profits for the export of
electricity will go when the company is registered as an offshore
company. Others think it is a good thing that Transelectric is able to
build it in a careless fashion without competition and proper oversight,
as getting it quickly up and running will further increase the country’s
capacity for export of electricity and to make up for a lost in foreign
direct investment and in light of less than a shiny business
environment.
როგორც უკვე ცნობილი გახდა მას მედიის საშუალებით ზურაბ ჟვანიას სიკვდილის საქმე თავიდან იქნება გამოძიებული. გთხოვ, თუკი გაქვს ისეთი მასალა ამ საქმესთან დაკავშირებით რომელიც გამოძიებას გამოადგება არ დაიზარო და გადაეცი მათ ეს მასალა. დაეხმარე გამოძიებას სიმართლის დადაგენაში. მე ვიცი შენ ჩვენი ქვეყნისთვიs მხოლოდ კარგი გინდა.ეს სიმართლე არ დაიმალება და ასე უკეთესი იქნება ორივე ქვეყნისთვის.
“As is known already from the TV the investigation into Zurab Zhvania’s death will be reopened. I kindly ask that if you have information which is of any assistance to the investigation please do not hesitate, do cooperate with the investigation. Please help them find the truth; I know that you wish only good for our country. This will be for the good for both countries; the truth cannot be covered up forever.” “Let Georgia’s PM be sacrificed for more important issues.”
… now is the time to ask hard questions about PM Zurab Zhvania
Jeffrey Silverman – Tbilisi Georgia
It was an accident – or so it was called, the tragic event of February
3, 2005: the ‘accidental’ death by ‘gas poisoning’ of Zurab Zhvania,
aged 41, the Georgian Prime Minister. But I am not one to believe in
such a fate, especially in the light of all the media spin surrounding
the case, and how many Georgians politicians and potential leaders, such
as Merab Kostava, Giorgi Chanturia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Badri
Patarkatsishvili etc., have died before their time.
Many examples can be found in other countries of Prime Ministers dying
prematurely in office. Most of these deaths can hardly be considered
accidents. In the case of Zurab Zhvania, I suggest that there is more
to the matter than the official record shows – or will ever show! Up next – the investigation into the possible murder and cover up of the
then serving Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania in 2005. These are kind of
things which make Misha’s attempts to cling onto power before the
election, and his now (treasonable?) attempts to destabilize his own
country by continually trying to undermine the new government with
pieces like this completely understandable. He and his dwindling band of
thieves are desperately trying to escape justice for their crimes, is
murder another crime that some will seek to escape? When Boris Ivanishvili, broke onto the political scene he said that he
would establish a level of democracy in Georgia which would “astonish”
Europe. His problem is that he really wants to do that and the only
thing which is in his way are attitudes such as those of the EU/US/NATO
officials who can see that he means “real” democracy and that to do that
he MUST root out all of the bad guys, corruption & nepotism which are
the first barriers he and his team face. Legal attaché of the U.S. Embassy “OK, let’s see” – I cannot provide the names of the contract killers identified to me by a representative of Ajarian Police Intelligence some years ago at this time, and I was not a witness to Zhvania’s death, but the behavior of the US Embassy of this raises many questions, as it is very, very suspicious. I hope to conduct an interview with Giorgi, Zurab Zhvania’s brother, soon – share some information; I had been waiting for my translator to get back from Europe and connect, and it is again wait – this is Georgia. My immediate plan is to go and talk to the neighbors of FBI agent Bryan
Paarmann, former legal attaché to the U.S. Embassy at the time, who was
centre stage in several breaking news stories during his short but
eventful tenure in Tbilisi. I want to learn more about his colorful
time in Tbilisi. I already know how Brian spent his leisure time – he
was a regular at various strip clubs, chased young sex workers and hung
out in the Western bars, Hanger and Smugglers, notorious as sleazy
commercial sex outlets. Another one of his favorite places was the
Striptease Club across the street from Public TV, First Channel,
“Pirveli Arkhi” in the Saburtalo region. I used to work there, at the TV
station that is!!! The Smugglers Bar, now out of business, is where this story originated
back in 2005. This was the popular “rent-a-chick bar” frequented by US
Embassy staff members and others working in the NGO community – and one
of Brian’s favorite watering hole. I also understand from former bar
staff there, and others in Tbilisi, that he finally caught one of the
fine ladies of Russian origin he had been chasing – or it might be
better said that she caught him; both are now living happily ever after
in the United States as man and wife. I starting investigating Bryan Paarmann after one of his former
girlfriends, let’s call her Eka, a Georgian, and others who knew him
personally from 2005 on-wards starting spilling the beans. I learned
that this FBI agent had especially arranged for Eka to be fired from her
job so that he would force her to be financially dependent on him. She
was not, to say the least, a member of his fan club – perhaps she had
high hopes for romance, and America as the final reward for putting up
with his antics – but another woman came along and pushed her aside. Eka told me, when all this was still fresh, that she was almost certain
that he was involved in covering up Zurab Zhvania’s murder. “I don’t
know if Bryan was directly involved in the murder but I know for certain
that she was involved in covering it up.” I could not simply take her statements at face value, but Eka also told
me small details about his life, motivations, about him growing up in
Mississippi, being a graduate of West Point (the American Military
Academy) and how he was adopted and had eventually gone crazy over some
Russian woman, Victoria, the competitor who ultimately became his wife. Her story checked out. A few weeks earlier I had made a joke to Bryan Paarmann in front of his
American Embassy friends about his new girlfriend’s profession. I had
tracked him down a few days after he had had me kidnapped off the street
and beaten by Georgian Security. To try to change the direction of our
conversation, being there in front of many Embassy staffers in
Smugglers, he introduced his soon-to-be-wife, as his girlfriend. I
sarcastically responded, after eyeing her over from head to toe [я
смерил её глазом с ног до головы ], “Это не только твоя подруга, она
подруга для всех – “not only your girlfriend but everybody’s
girlfriend!” We had been in the middle of a heated discussion over things he had been
doing which were apparently related to Zhvania’s death, having me picked
up and beaten after I had crossed the border from Azerbaijan on my old
Georgian passport. I had learned this favor was done on his his personal
request, or perhaps it came from one of his higher ups, I had been under
close surveillance for some time; I had already been grabbed in the
middle of the street and pushed into a car in broad daylight on the way
to work one morning a few days before – in front of my Georgian wife’s
neighbors and others who knew me. The motivation was clear, as I was
writing some interesting articles in this period. As for the motivation for this, it is hard to say: I had been digging
into the activities of American funded NGOs in East Georgia, ostensibly
rural credit unions, ACDI/VOCA,, and how the US government was funding
Chechen fighters, “Boyeviks”, under the guise of a “Food for Peace
Program” being conducted under the auspices of the United States
Department of Agriculture in Georgia. The rural credit program was
being used as a slush fund to buy weapons and provide financial support
for Chechens operating out of the Pankisi Gorge in East Georgia. I had
also visited some Azeri villages in East Georgia and had perhaps been
asking too many questions about Raul Yusupov, the Deputy Governor of the
Kvemo-Kartli region. He too was found dead with Zurab Zurab on that same
dreadful day. Through my contacts in the US Embassy and intelligence community,
especially friends in the French Embassy, I was able to track down Bryan
to have a face-to-face discussion about why he had had me grabbed off
the street and beaten at the office of Georgian counterintelligence
organization SOD, the “Modulis Shenoba” on Vajza Pshavela Avenue. Paarmann, being very arrogant, started out by admitting to having had me
“picked up” off the street – to see what I was doing, and suggesting
that I come to the Embassy and talk to him. He then continued by mocking
my articles, published in “Azerbaijan Today”, a regional magazine, about
US foreign policy. I was its Editor-in-Chief at the time. Bryan Paarmann said, “I have read your fucking articles (sic) and I know
more about your life than you know yourself, and at least you are not a
pedophile (someone who likes young children).” He added, “If you were a
threat I would have you put on a flight back to the US in chains, but I
guess it is your Constitutional right to write such articles.” These
articles were not very complementary of the policies of the George Bush
Jr. Administration, or his intellectual abilities, and predicated his
eventual failure. The argument ended when his FBI partner, who was drunk at the time,
attacked me over my remark about Bryan’s Russian beauty, as he
understood what I had said in Russian, – “not only your girlfriend but
everybody’s girlfriend!” He took a swing and hit a beer bottle I was
holding, chipping my teeth and splashing the beer in my face. This man was at least half my age and about twice my size. In reaction,
and without thinking, I broke a beer bottle over his head, and soon only
the glass neck of the bottle remained in my hand, blood and beer mixed
together splattering the floor and wall of the bar. The agent ended up
on the floor in a pool of blood. Incidentally, Bryan had bought me the
beer. Those in the Georgian National Security Agency and other investigative
bodies thought it funny that Americans were going after one another,
like in the movies, both of us being former US Army. However, they
refused to do anything about it, and Georgian witnesses would not say
anything, much to the disappointment of the US Embassy staff, who were
trying to push the issue – the Georgian side apparently knew this was
something that smelled very bad “dampali” – something they didn’t want
to stir too much (არ გაქექოს ნაგავი/მძღნერი). Their request for action
went as high as the Georgian National Security Council, and the incident
was the talk of the town for a while, but it was soon forgotten,
especially after Bryan left Georgia for Ukraine. To cut a long story short: FBI Agent Bryan Paarmann’s three-year
contract to work in Georgia was soon terminated or cut short, as he was
sent, apparently shipped off, to Ukraine, perhaps as a means of damage
control, not related to our encounter but more likely related to the
press over the PM and the Iranian gas heater. Within the next year he
back to the US. Incidentally, coincidence or not, he was subsequently
promoted to a very high position at FBI Headquarters, the J. Edgar
Hoover Building, in Washington DC. This career move may be related to Zurab Zhvania’s case, or him being
the key investigator of the so-called murder attempt on George W. Bush.
The so called murder attempt on GWB was yet another stage performance,
at least in my opinion as part of the circus that is Georgia; such
things are scripted, and by outsiders. I have my doubts about the
official version, and I am not the only one. The last I heard, Bryan
had married the Russian, Victoria, although some claim that she was
never officially divorced. They are now living happily ever after in the
United States; good riddance to them both! I also suspect that his removal/promotion to the US was related to all
the things Paarmann had been involved with here in Tbilisi, the PR – as
a “media spin doctor” – claiming that an Iranian gas heater was at
fault in Zhvania’s death, when talking to the media a few days later. The deadly beast in question is sometimes referred to as a “badly
installed Iran-made heater” or an “Iranian heater that was recently
installed ignoring safety codes,” but, oddly, when a Georgian official
is speaking, they inevitably bring up the fact that the heater was from
Iran, as if that country itself is somehow to blame. Even back then it
appeared that all those talking were on the payroll of George W. Bush,
milking this divine opportunity to subliminally paint Iran in a bad
light.
PART 2 Do Americans often gas their politicians? ხშირად წამლავენ გაზით ამერიკელები თავიანთ პოლიტიკოსებს? Bryan Paarmann, the legal attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, even
told one journalist who I know professionally, and who occasionally
works with me, that it was “certainly a gas heater” at fault and was not
foul play (murder), and how many people die this way in the United
States each year.
THIS WILL NEED TO BE TRANSLATION თუმცა როდესაც ჟვანია გარდაიცვალა, მე ის ვნახე ქართულ
ტელევიზიებში , როგორ აძლევდა კომენტარს , როგორც საქართველოში
მოღვაწე ეფბიაის აგენტი და განმარტავდა, რომ გაზით მოწამვლის
შემთხვევები ასევე ხშირია ისეთ ქვეყანაშიც კი როგორიც
ამერიკაა.
მას შემდეგ რაც მე და ჩემმა მეგობრმა ვნახეთ და მოვისმინეთ მისი კომენტარი, ჩვენ მას დავუკავშირდით და ამის შემდეგ ერთხელ შევგვხდა , შეხვედრის დროს მე მას ვუთხარი რომ ჟვანიას გარდაცვალების დეტალები ძალიან ბუნდოვანი, საეჭვეო, იყო და რომ ამ ფაქტის ირგვლივ უამრავი პასუხგაუცემელი კითხვები იყო. დეტალურად არ მახსოვს ის არგუმენტები რომელიც მასთან მომყავდა . რაზეც მან მიპასუხა , რომ მე საკმაოდ ახალგაზრდა და ბავშვიც კი ვიყავი და რომ ასეთ რაღაცეებს ვერ მივხდებოდი …., და მისი არგუმენტიც და პასუხიც თითქმის იგივე იყო რაც, სატელევიზიო კომენტარში.
თუმცა მას შემდეგ რაც მე მას პირდაპირ მივახალე ის რასაც ძალიან ბევრი ადამაინი ფიქრობდა იმ პერიოდში და იმ ეჭვებზეც ვესაუბრე რაც არსებობდა , ცოტა არ იყოს შემეშინდა მისი თანამდებობიდან გამომდინარე და გადავწვიტე ბოლოს მისთვის საამებელი სიტყვები მეთქვა და ასეთი რამ ვუთხარი , რომ მისი კომენტარი უფრო დამაჯერებელი იყო ვიდრე იმდროინდელი შინაგან საქმეთა მინისტრის ვანო მერაბიშვილის , რაც მას ძალიან ესიამოვნა. გარკვეული ხანი ჩვენ გვქონდა კონტაქტი, თუმცა მოგვიანებით როცა მან გაიგო, რომ მე ჟურნალისტად დავიწყე მუშოაბა მას , ის აღარ დამკონტაქტებია. Bryan Paarmann also announced to the media on Georgian TV that American
forensic experts had found no evidence that contradicted the initial
conclusions of their Georgian colleagues and there was “no reason
whatsoever to allege that a third party was involved in the incident.”
Cover up worse than the crime! In the final analysis, the cover-up may prove even more revealing than
the crime itself. Why were they so quick to come to the conclusion about
the gas heater, and it being an accident – even without going into all
that cloak and dagger stuff?! Some years later I learned that the FBI
in the United States had been involved in my own case – either due to me whacking an FBI agent on the head with a beer bottle or because of
my revealing articles – or perhaps a combination of motives, but
certainly they had been checking up on me in the United States.
My 22-year old son’s mother wrote to me, “I had two FBI agents visit me
at my job in Kentucky. One was Detective Greg Wolf and the other was Mr.
Steve Auvenshine. They came to my work site and told me they were
investigating you but wouldn’t tell me why. They asked numerous
questions about you and what you did for a living. “They showed me a picture of you and asked if it was you. They asked me questions about how we met, where you have lived, where you were born, who your parents were and what did they do for a living, whether they were still alive or not, what countries you had visited, what languages you spoke, how long you had visited each country, what religion you practiced and if you had ever been in the military. I asked them why they were asking so many questions about you but they would not say. I think they already knew all the answers to all the questions they asked me; I think they just wanted to see if I would verify what they knew. They also wanted me to send all the e-mails that you had sent me to them. Bourbon County [the local authority] said that they were already sending all the e-mails they receive from you to the US State Department.” Zurab Zhvania had one saving grace (მას ერთი უპირატესობა ჰქონდა): his
consistent belief in the value of stability and Georgian statehood at
all costs. Ironically enough, many in Georgia, including myself, think
it was this desire – to preserve stability-at all costs, and do what was
in the best interests of Georgia – which probably got him murdered. One
thing is certain, what little I know about Zurab Zhvania, or what I
know about Georgia and US foreign policy, has raised some flags (with
the US Embassy and with the intelligence community back in the United
States).
murdered this night in the back seat of his vehicle, ML class Mercedes
on Zaziashvili Street. The murdered had three gunshot wounds. The
locals say they didn’t hear the gunshots (it sounds like his body was
taken and left where it was found). I think this guy was in the construction and restaurant business. I don’t know any more than that – just made me think a little about this
case, which is also somehow related to an ownership issue with the
Buddah Bar just across the river, where they’re building that “Time
Tunnel” for Misha, Vano, and Gigi to escape to the past. How curious that another person called Avtandil Aduashvili drowned in
Gori in July. Maybe there’s a kind of “Terminator” thing going on, and
there’s more to this Time Tunnel on Rike park than meets the eye. Maybe
they manage to go back and figure out that “someone” called Avtandil
Aduashvili must be eliminated for them to escape punishment for their
sins, so a terminator has come forward in time and is bumping off anyone
called Avtandil Aduashvili? I think they’re going to string Merabishvili along a bit and try to make
him sweat. Fat Misha already looks like a sweaty fat pig – and his
hair’s going very gray now too. They thought they had it all and resorted to such dirty tactics during
the election campaigning period because they were petrified of the
consequences if they lost, and everything they were afraid of is now
coming to pass. They haven’t really started on the shonky deals (of dubious integrity or
legality) deals with mysterious companies which were set up to bid for
all these state tenders yet, or the big “murder” cases (Zurab Zhvania,
Buta Robakidze and Sandro Girgvliani). It is all starting to float to the top – sit back folks and enjoy the
show! YouTube – Videos from this email –
properly and make it look good”
Phillip Gordon came here with his eyes wide open, fully aware, and he
would have been properly briefed (informed) by the US Ambassador who, as
we have seen, has been an almost daily visitor to Ivanishvili and cannot
possibly have been taken by surprise by these arrests. I think the
message from the Americans is clear: “it’s a dirty job but it’s got to
be done – just make sure you do it properly and make it look good”.
As for others, Jose Barroso is just a complete cock who would side (take
the side) with the devil if it kept that stupid smug look on his face a
while longer, as are the rest of his EPP buddies who keep voting him
back in, e.g. Wilfried Martens and not forgetting that the UNM
themselves are affiliated to the EPP, as is John McCain’s International
Republican Institute, IRI.
I think Mr. Rasmussen was just taken in (fooled) by Saakashvili, to be
honest. The NATO Sec. General is naturally more detached from the
reality of life in Georgia. Perhaps James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant
Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO
Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central
Asia, could have helped him prepare better so I’m sure some questions
need to be asked within NATO itself as there was a marked change in tone
from Rasmussen after he’d met with Ivanishvili.
I’m sure the Americans (State Department) know that the really big fish
are yet to be fried and the impeachment process has recently been
explained by the GYLA, Georgian Young Lawyers Association (someone
must’ve asked them?) but we may have to wait a while before we see any
direct moves against Saakashvili and Merabishvili. Pretty soon they’ll be the only ones left anyway, not arrested but under
threat. I’m not so sure about Gigi Ugulava – I think his little stunt
where he tried to gatecrash the ministerial meeting may have moved him
up the batting order – and his days may be numbered too!
There’s little doubt that they’re all on the same list – powerful people
who thought they were untouchable. They only have such a voice now
because they still managed to rig the election somewhat – nobody likes
them (except themselves) and the more moderate UNM MPs would do well to
distance themselves from them and join the splinter group of
independents and think about their own political careers.
What we’re seeing happening is the dissection of a regime which kept
themselves and their friends in houses and whores through intimidation,
fear, torture, sexual abuse, theft of property, political persecution,
corruption, and control of the media… you name it, they did it.
It’s a bit rich of them (arrogant) complaining about getting caught.
They are acting as a bunch of cry babies. We have an expression in
America: “if you can’t do the time then don’t do the crime.”
I see they’re going to charge Dato Akhalaia in absentia. Do they have
family rooms in prison? They’ll need a suite if they can pin anything on
Roland – the Godfather of that clan.
NB – for Georgian Readers: Pin anything on – that means – to prove a
person guilty of something, in American legal slang – jailhouse law
dictionary
incident As Akhalia’s lawyer Ioseb Janashia told InterPressNews, the case is
about the incident that took place in a restaurant. The lawyer doesn’t
specify the details, though says that Bacho Akhalaia doesn’t plead
guilty. 143rd article is quite serious, which carries about 12 year in prison,
Ioseb Janashia said.
http://www.interpressnews.ge/en/politics/42138-bacho-akhalaia-receives-charge…
Rather a muted statement there, following all the squealing of the past
couple of days. The 4th part of the 143rd article of The Criminal Code of Georgia:
4. The action stipulated in Paragraphs 1 or 2 of this Article:
a) by an organized group;
b) that through negligence has claimed the life of the victim or has
given rise to any other grave consequence, – shall be punishable by
prison sentences ranging from eight to fifteen years in prison.
If this refers to the Sandro Girgvliani case then it begs the question –
will Vano Merabishvili and his wife get dragged along for the ride? Akhalaia is probably safer in prison than anywhere else, and first man
in gets to cut the deal. What he knows could sink a lot of ships, even
the flagship.
After his failed attempts to seek asylum overseas perhaps he felt his
safest bet was to come back to Georgia and put trust in his friends and
the criminal justice system he so respects (and squeal like a pig_?
strike.
The drivers have 17-point demands. They demand improvement of labor
conditions and a salary increase. No buses are operating in Tbilisi and
citizens mainly travel by mini buses. The drivers say that this is a warning strike and if their demands are
not met the protest will be on a wide scale. http://www.interpressnews.ge/en/society/42118-yellow-busses-on-strike-in-tbil… Whoever is driving all of these strikes certainly don’t have the best
interests of the country at heart. This is planned and malicious damage
to the economy – a crime against the state (and we all know which party
is behind it all). The problem which the perpetrators face is that they are trying to now
play the victim before on audience which they have previously victimized
and held in fear. This is why they were thrown out of power and they
only got as many seats as they now have because they did their level
best to steal the election – you could probably factor in that about 20%
of their votes as having been garnered by illicit tactics during the
election campaign and poll. These are criminals standing up for criminals. It is little wonder that
they are doing all of this – playing dirty – when they know what is
coming once the truth comes out following deeper investigation into the
deaths of such people as Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Sergo Tetradze,
and Sandro Girgvliani, among others, and into the large scale corruption
which has taken place involving the auction of state assets and
monopolistic tenders and the revolving doors at Tbilisi City Hall. All of these people – Saakashvili, Merabishvili, Akhalaia, Ugulava,
Bokeria, Sharangias, etc. are the true thieves-in-law in Georgia – they
know it – the whole country knows it and what they are trying to do now
just will not wash, not with Georgians and not with the Americans or the
Europeans (except perhaps with the EPP). The people became power-mad and their depravity is well known among the
Georgian people. The great danger here is if they succeed in their aim
to pull the wool over just a few western eyes with their propaganda and
tactics – at best widespread unrest and unexplained bombings – at worst
a civil war could break out. For a truer picture of just what sort of people we are dealing with here
– this is how they are viewed by the Georgian on the street: Where does the “broom” of prison 8 stem from?
strike.
The drivers have 17-point demands. They demand improvement of labor
conditions and a salary increase. No buses are operating in Tbilisi and
citizens mainly travel by mini buses. The drivers say that this is a warning strike and if their demands are
not met the protest will be on a wide scale. http://www.interpressnews.ge/en/society/42118-yellow-busses-on-strike-in-tbil… Whoever is driving all of these strikes certainly don’t have the best
interests of the country at heart. This is planned and malicious damage
to the economy – a crime against the state (and we all know which party
is behind it all). The problem which the perpetrators face is that they are trying to now
play the victim before on audience which they have previously victimized
and held in fear. This is why they were thrown out of power and they
only got as many seats as they now have because they did their level
best to steal the election – you could probably factor in that about 20%
of their votes as having been garnered by illicit tactics during the
election campaign and poll. These are criminals standing up for criminals. It is little wonder that
they are doing all of this – playing dirty – when they know what is
coming once the truth comes out following deeper investigation into the
deaths of such people as Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Sergo Tetradze,
and Sandro Girgvliani, among others, and into the large scale corruption
which has taken place involving the auction of state assets and
monopolistic tenders and the revolving doors at Tbilisi City Hall. All of these people – Saakashvili, Merabishvili, Akhalaia, Ugulava,
Bokeria, Sharangias, etc. are the true thieves-in-law in Georgia – they
know it – the whole country knows it and what they are trying to do now
just will not wash, not with Georgians and not with the Americans or the
Europeans (except perhaps with the EPP). The people became power-mad and their depravity is well known among the
Georgian people. The great danger here is if they succeed in their aim
to pull the wool over just a few western eyes with their propaganda and
tactics – at best widespread unrest and unexplained bombings – at worst
a civil war could break out. For a truer picture of just what sort of people we are dealing with here
– this is how they are viewed by the Georgian on the street: Where does the “broom” of prison 8 stem from?
Akhalaia, Zurab Shamatava, the head of the 4th brigade of the armed
forces and Giorgi Kalandadze, the head of the Joint Staff, who stand
accused of verbally and physically and publicly assaulting a number of
military personnel, and in a clearly orchestrated yet somewhat
twitchy-assed attempt by the UNM to politicize the situation the
Parliamentary Minority have staged a walk-out from Parliament. The problem is that no-one believes them anymore, and they well remember
Akhalaia’s deep involvement in the notorious and, as yet, unresolved
case of the murder of Sandro Girgvliani, who was killed by former PM
Vano Merabishvili’s and Akhalaia’s allies. Perhaps the UNM are most worried that Akhalaia’s arrest will lead http://www.interpressnews.ge/en/politics/42106-parliamentary-minority-suspend… The Prosecutor’s Office today published the testimonies of several
witnesses, in which former employees of the Defence Ministry accuse
former Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia, Zurab Shamatava, the head of the
4th brigade of the armed forces and
Giorgi Kalandadze, the head of the Joint Staff, of verbal and physical
abuse. There were legal grounds for detention of former interior minister Bacho
Akhalaia and head of the Joint Staff Giorgi Kalandadze, Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili told journalists at the Courtyard Marriot hotel. ‘It was not a political detention and there were legal grounds for it. Everything took place within the law. I had not taken part in these processes and I can’t say anything more’, Ivanishvili said. In his own thinly-veiled attack on the new Ruling Party President
Mikheil Saakashvili expressed his concern over the recent developments
and called on everyone to respect the rule of law and national
interests. Well, Misha, what goes around comes around. You can’t have it both
ways!!!
Stories that nobody wanted to hear in Georgia:
“history of corruption that never ends”
Dairy of a muckraker:
Jeffrey K. Silverman
Here are several areas that I interested in writing about, including the full story of Roddy Scott and what has really happened in Pankisi, the motivation, and especially his networking with Chechen fighters.
Here is a cross section of the areas that I have been working in the last few years. Hopefully you may have some better contacts in finding a home for such articles. Please feel free to work this over as you feel fit in making a pitch to Time or Newsweek. Things are a bit slow now, until Bush bombs Iraq and the timing might be right.
I shall look forward to working with you on some of these and other stories in the future.
Pankisi and Geopolitics
Georgia lies in a region where there are many unexploded zones of conflict and is it possible by helping the Georgia the United States and others are in fact doing more to tear it apart. Media reports are often written from a distance and much of what is published is not true. Everybody has been talking about the Pankisi “Gorge,” and lying about it.
When you are a journalist it very important to see a situation close and not to trust what you have read in the media or heard. People and countries have many reasons to lie about a situation, and by having been to Pankisi several journalist have information that contradicts what is being reported in the West.
Roddy Scott, a killed British journalist who wrote in response to an unedited article that was later published by the Eurasianet ,”Walk in the Country” about the situation in the Pankisi gorge, “I personally think it’s a great story, its about the first time I have ever seen the possibility for someone to really lift the lid on everything, rather than the usual ‘journo-grasping-at-straws-with-no-good-sources’ which seems to emanate from the region. And what really gives it the boost is that it is tied into US policy, which gives it the international rather than local/parochial flavor.
Corruption, Money Laundering and NGOs
Much is spoken of corruption but little is heard about actually fighting corruption in Georgia. Nevertheless, anyone who knows anything about Georgia understands that corruption is a plague that must be eradicated for this country to make true progress.
Newspapers publish countless stories on the topic. However, corruption in international organizations is a special problem that has rarely been addressed, because the media here is afraid of embarrassing international assistance efforts to which such a debt of gratitude is owed.
Case studies Potemkin Associations – NGOs
“Case study” Take for example a network of credit unions founded by ACDI/VOCA, which is an US based private nonprofit international Development that has been working in Georgia since 1993 with USDA/ USAID funding. Loans are provided to commercial wheat producers and these are reflected in the Tbilisi headquarter books as being for one year. However, actual loans are made for 10 months, which matures in the middle of the wheat-harvesting season when prices are substantially lower. If a farmer does not want to be late in payments, which will disqualify them for future loans, then they must sell the wheat for less than if they would have waited if they for two to three months more. The credit union profits when farmers sell beyond the 10-month period by imposing fines on peasant farmers, adding a little extra margin to the bottom line. Some farmer would like to mill the wheat into flour and make an extra margin from the value-added processing.
What is interesting is that it appears that staff members, elected representatives of the members themselves, i.e., the “supervisory board” of the credit association are in fact middlemen, wheat brokers. This information is supported by discussions with several farmers in East Georgia, and having access to copies of one contract that was signed in Georgian and English languages, which clearly demonstrates the level of thought and organization that has gone into this instance of corruption. If farmer complains about being forced into a marketing corner, or is late in payment, beyond the 10-month maturity date, then that farmer is refused future loans and this makes it almost impossible to plant a new crop. A local credit manager, assistant credit manager and bookkeeper carry out day to day management and the process is supported by other support personnel in Tbilisi who oversee the local credit unions.
However, there is much more below the surface than meets the eye, based on discussions with some key persons in the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture. One of the main problems is that staff, especially in the beginning. The problem is that ACDI/VOCA gives lots of control to their credit union Field Managers. These Field Managers are not hired based on their knowledge of credit and loan analysis but rather because of their “ties within the local community.” In other words, these people are often chiefs of the local tax inspectorate, former local administration executives, or other influential local politicians. They are hired to be able to force the farmers to pay.
Case Study of Corruption in International Development: UMCOR and UNDP Festival of Corruption: UMCOR’s (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Implementation of The 1996-1998 UNDP Income Generation Project
UMCOR received in the neighborhood of $160,000-$200,000 (this is what source remembers) from the UNDP to make a combination of grant plus no-interest loans to four separate organizations. Each organization received $40,000-$50,000, of which $20-25 K had to be repaid; the rest was just kept as a grant by the organization. So obviously, whoever was included in the program got a major sweetheart deal.
The source is unaware what procedures were made the select the four winners, but by all accounts the process was completely dirty. Let us look at who the winners were:
1) The medical services/international development firm Curatio. Curatio was created by UMCOR employees, its Board at the time consisted almost entirely of UMCOR employees, it was rumored to be owned by Georgian UMCOR employees using UMCOR grants. When UMCOR Deputy Director Sandro Kvitashvili left UMCOR he immediately became 2-3rd ranking chief of Curatio. Curatio got all kinds of contracts from UMCOR—for example it supplied the UMCOR health insurance until Khatuna Zaldastanishvili, Deputy Country Director, came in and removed them and substituted her own outfit as the health insurance provider. Curatio stopped being important after Khatuna became chief—a new Mafia had assumed power in UMCOR. Obviously, a fair tender process could not have considered Curatio given its ties to UMCOR—but nevertheless it won.
2) The second firm to win was a manufacturer of cement blocks. The name is unknown, but the owner had very close ties (as witnessed by source) to Georgia UMCOR managers, and also probably family ties to them.
At this point it should be noted that repayments of the loan part was overall very poor, but that the two firms above were much better in this regard than the next two.
3) A glassmaker. Source knows very little about this recipient, except that he did not pay back the loan portion.
4) The best of all the recipients was a certain project called “Underground.” The loan/grant was meant to set up some small stores in an underground passage under a street or leading into a Metro. The “recipients” simply took the money and ran. They did not do absolutely anything. No repairs, no visible sign of any work—nothing ever got started. The feeling amidst UMCOR was that UMCOR managers had split the money with some friends and manufactured a completely fictitious project. As easy money as one can possibly make!! Not a single cent was ever returned.
Everybody considered the project an unmitigated disaster, and UNDP roasted UMCOR expatriates about this at certain heated meetings…but of course this was after the fact. Where was UNDP when the crimes were being committed?
A thoroughly amusing Postscript on the project: The Project Manager was somebody called Mamuka (last name cannot be remembered). One would have thought that after the disaster he presided over he would never be able to find a job with international organizations in his life. Instead, he left the project prior to its conclusion and became head of contracts for the World Bank in Tbilisi, lecturing other people and organizations about how to conduct honest fair and transparent contracting process. The only effect of the project was to teach all Georgians involved that corruption truly does pay and that one can take the money from international donors get away with it, and laugh at them too. The corrupt will still get hired again by their buddies.”
USAID and Job Searching “But she didn’t get the job” UMCOR Fires Deputy Director for Corrupt Activities – Nevertheless USAID Close to Hiring Corruption’s “Iron Lady”
Sources inside the international NGO UMCOR confirm that its Georgia office in early June 2002 fired its Georgian Deputy Director Khatuna Zaldastanishvili on suspicion of graft and corrupt activities. Zaldastanishvili attained notoriety two years ago when an expose in the Georgian Profile magazine identified her as the driving force behind a number of dirty schemes carried out by the organization’s Georgian employees.
Officially, UMCOR’s contends her departure is due to the abolishment of her position as Deputy Director. However, this is clearly a fiction, since in that case she should have been assigned elsewhere instead of forced to leave. In reality, her dismissal involved an outrageous episode that a new UMCOR Director, less disposed than his predecessors to accept her “transgressions,” felt could not go unpunished.
According to these sources inside UMCOR, the firing followed an investigation of Zaldastanishvili’s connections to a local ketchup producing company for which she had proposed a huge grant (in USDA funds) of close to $500,000. According to the sources, suspicion began to grow when she pushed too hard to have this project approved, in the face of widespread skepticism of such a large sum being granted to a single, unknown company. In the end, the new UMCOR director launched an investigation that showed Zaldastanishvili to have close unofficial ties to this company, and that the directors of this firm had promised her payment of $200,000 if she could obtain the grant for them.
Zaldastanishvili’s dismissal comes at a time when her power inside UMCOR was greater than ever. She had recently achieved a long-standing ambition of fitting a local crony of hers in the position of Director of Agriculture programs, formerly reserved for expatriates. “She felt she could do anything, now that she controlled the highly lucrative USDA funded agriculture program” claims one source, “greed led to her downfall.”
One could think good riddance, but there is a twist to this story. It now appears that the USAID Mission in Georgia was set to hire Zaldastanishvili as a Foreign Service National. “The papers are already drawn up,” says a USAID Manager on condition of anonymity. Did USAID strike a deal with UMCOR to help ease Zaldastanishvili out, making it comfortable enough for her not to “spill the beans” on UMCOR?
NGO “Recently investigated in Georgia by USAID Office of Inspector General, three weeks ago. CARE International – sometime back in 2003.
Dear Mr. Silverman,
You have a very good reputation in uncovering corruption humanitarian organizations. I suggest you do some investigative work of CARE. The former Country Director, Tamara Tiffany, was quietly removed from her position about 6 months ago to avoid publicity.
While the Country Director, Ms. Tiffany used the CARE office and her position as a front for her own personal business.
Horizon Ltd.” The company has at least two individual businesses, a restaurant and a construction business. These two businesses are listed on the American Chamber of Commerce database of US companies operating in Georgia. Her husband supposedly owned horizon. In fact, she is the president of the company. This is clearly shown on the AmCham list.
While at CARE, she spent about half her time working on Horizon Ltd matters while being paid by US-based donors. She used CARE equipment to conduct her personal business. For example, each morning at work the fax machine was inundated with messages sent to her related to Horizon Ltd, not to the work of CARE. She had employees of CARE use work time to deal with matters solely related to Horizon Ltd. Finally, while she was working at CARE, the e-mail address for Horizon Ltd was: (Again refer to the AmCham list).
She used CARE’s import tax exemption to bring many assets into Georgia, including vehicles, which are used and owned solely by Horizon Ltd. In fact, the Horizon vehicle received yellow humanitarian license plates even though it is used only for her personal business. It is not clear what other materials and assets wee brought into the country under the CARE cover.
Ms. Tiffany should be investigated to see if CARE ever contracted with her construction company to do any other shelter work, of which CARE has done hundreds over the years. This would be a gross conflict of interests.
Not only was Ms. Tiffany quietly removed as part of a massive cover-up to protect CARE. It seems that USAID acquiesced in the removal in order to protect itself. And for all of this, Ms. Tiffany has been rewarded—she has been named as a member of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Tbilsi. US base NGOs like to talk about the problems of corruption in Georgia. What took place at CARE shows the level of hypocrisy that is commonplace.
Please do what you can to expose this so that one-day international NGOs will be able to redeem their integrity. I suggest that you begin by getting a copy of the AmCham database of US owned companies operating in Georgia and see for yourself—and then work backwards. There is a huge cover-up to be exposed.
Banking Scandals (US and European Funding)
Organized crime in Georgia is one of the most prevalent problems facing banking regulators and the international community. There are two clear-cut cases of banking fraud that, although separate, in many ways describe the panorama in viewing Georgian financial institutions in recent months. The way that he United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Embassy reacted to a clear-cut instance of banking fraud may be more reflective of political expediency than actual greed and corruption.
Shore Bank (USAID and IFC funding, IFC is part of the World Bank Group).
In the Shore Bank case, it is not just that money was stolen while regulators appear to have looked the other way that was so embarrassing, but that the highly prized USAID-trained Georgian tax inspection participated in the looting of some of the money. Money was not only taken from the bank account, but revenues that were to flow into state coffers from Shore employment taxes went missing – this money was to be credited directly from TBC bank.
It will take the joint effort of several regulatory and international organizations working together to face the fallout of corruption in Georgia. Unfortunately, it appears at first impression that the international community and Western missions have been willing to turn a blind eye to the interface between such instances of corruption and networks of patronage, mainly because of not wanting to upset the fragile balance of outside interests and geopolitical rivalries that can easily spin out of control. The level of banking intrigue is reinforced with film and documentation and both internal and external investigative reports on how weapons are purchased from middlemen and are then passed along to Chechen fighters.
Facts (based on source inside USAID well acquainted with Shorebank issue, not for publication inside Georgia. Local hire, Nino Stepanishvili joined the bank in early 1999. She had previously worked for a major foreign pipeline construction firm in Tbilisi. It was believed she might have also stolen from them too. The theft from Shorebank is believed to have begun in early 2000. Shorebank in June 2002 eventually did initiate a criminal complaint against Stepanishvili (probably due to the Silverman investigation). There has been no further fallout—nobody has been arrested, and Georgian police are investigating but this has stopped now that USAID pulled life support for Shorebank. Shorebank fired two other local employees in July 2001, shortly after the discovery of the theft, on suspicion of collaboration with Stepanishvili.
Corrupt tax inspectors are believed to have played a key role in the conspiracy with Stepanishvili. “Tens of thousands” of dollars stolen represented tax payments, which Stepanishvili reported as paid, but in actuality were not, actually paid. Inspectors should have, but did not, report Shorebank’s non-payment for over a year, and were likely conspirators.
The tax inspectorate immediately launched an investigation once Stepanishvili was dismissed. USAID’s decision to have Shorebank pay up and shut up was due to embarrassment likely involvement of tax inspectors in this theft would have on the USAID project with the tax inspectors. Eventually tax inspectors forced Shorebank to pay a heavy fine due to “late payment” of taxes.
German Banker Life Threatened, “This story was broken by me in the Georgian Times Monday, December 2, 2002 (my name was not mentioned) but there is much below the surface. I still have all the correspondence between Alexander von Gleich, banker and myself. I am saving that for the book.
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