Opposition Slams Report Denying MP’s Commercial Wrongdoings

Opposition parliamentarians criticized a report prepared by the investigative parliamentary commission, which was set up to probe into allegations about commercial wrongdoings committed by MP Koba Bekauri, from the ruling National Movement party.

The report prepared by the commission says that MP Koba Bekauri was not involved in any illegal commercial activities in the Opiza customs terminal.

But opposition MPs Pikria Chikhradze, Gia Tsagareishvili and Kakha Kukava, who were also members of the investigative commission, criticized the report as “incomplete” and called for a continuation of the commission’s work. They demanded that the report not be discussed at the parliamentary session on February 17. The opposition MPS also claim that the commission wrapped-up it activities after pressure from the authorities and the ruling party.

The Opiza case involves the purchasing of 20% of the shares of the Opiza customs terminal by MP Bekauri. A journalistic investigative report, which accused Bekauri of being involved in illegal business activities, became the reason behind the detention of co-owner and anchor of the 202 TV station, Shalva Ramishvili. Bekauri claims Ramishvili was extorting a bribe in exchange for the latter pulling the report off the air. But Ramishvili says the MP has been intimidating him for months and fabricated the extortion charge. Ramishvili is currently on trial.

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