The Daily Beat: 8 February
Three Georgian citizens are reported dead in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Turkey, the Foreign Ministry confirmed. Several more Georgian citizens in the earthquake-stricken areas are considered missing. The Georgian rescue team has been battling alongside the Turkish colleagues, tackling the consequences of the deadly quake. Georgian consular services in Turkey remain on high alert.
Irakli Kobakhidze repeated the party line: in response to statements by Western politicians calling for Saakashvili to be released for medical treatment abroad, saying that the ultimate goal of such international pressure is to drag Georgia into the war.
The Association of Banks of Georgia warned customers against suspicious money transfers and reminded them of the legal consequences. Apparently, Russian citizens pay Georgians to use their accounts for withdrawing cash or buying cryptocurrencies. Banks partaking in these illegal transactions might lead to legal sanctions and the closing of bank accounts.
Don’t miss a beat!
The Supreme Court upheld the original sentence and ordered Pirveli TV channel to refute the false report containing the claim of partaking in crime about a police officer and to pay for moral damages, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.
Closure to a Heist?
After being at large for more than two years, notorious bank robber Badri Esebua has been arrested, police confirmed in a statement. A masked gunman with firearms and hand grenades broke into the Bank of Georgia office in the western Georgian town of Zugdidi in October 2020, taking 43 hostages and demanding USD 500,000. He was identified as Badri Esebua by the police at the time. Upon the ransom payment, the robber freed the hostages and fled. Esebua was found in a relative’s house just 2 kilometers away from his own place of habitual residence. The defense lawyer says Esebua does not admit guilt and argues he was mistakenly identified.