The Daily Beat: 18 April
Formula TV founder Davit Kezerashvili issued a public statement refuting allegations aired by the BBC journalist’s investigation linking him to a global scam trading network and announcing the decision to relinquish the control of his TV shares. In his statement, Kezerashvili pledged to transfer half of the existing shares to TV management and journalists. The remaining stake will be transferred in full after the end of the “oligarchic rule,” Kezerashvili said. As for BBC allegations, the former defense minister denied any connection with a fraudulent network, claiming the ruling Georgian Dream party and its oligarch leader to be behind the well-planned propaganda against him, once again expressing readiness to cooperate on the investigation with journalists as well as European law enforcement authorities.
A lack of quorum on the part of the ruling Georgian Dream party prevented a vote on an opposition proposal to set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry to investigate alleged corruption in the judiciary. The majority decided not to register for the ballot, describing the move as an “act of solidarity” with the Georgian judges. “In the interest of the court’s independence, the majority would not register, which is an act of political solidarity with the judges,”- the chairman of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze said. Some opposition parties tabled the initiative to establish the commission in light of the recent sanctioning of four judges by the US State Department due to “significant corruption.”
In his Easter message, Patriarch Ilia II emphasized peace and war topics, saying that Georgia is going through difficult times when the threat of a nuclear catastrophe is real, and peace is especially priceless. “Only in peacetime can our goal be realized and our divine ability manifested, and in an environment of hostility, violence, and injustice, the world cannot rest,” said Ilia II. In his Easter address, the Patriarch also spoke about some of the growing dangers of freedom, polarization, and “atheistic thinking,” emphasizing the correct use of freedoms and the application of technological advances, urging society not to perceive modern freedoms as the right to do everything that is categorically unacceptable for the believer.
The State Security Service reported the illegal detention of the Georgian citizen by the Russian occupation forces in the occupied area surrounding Dvani Village in the South Ossetia/Tskinvali region. The security service announced that the hotline mechanism of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) had been activated. According to the State Security Service announcement, international partners and the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions were duly informed of the detention, adding that all the existing mechanisms have been activated to ensure the prompt release of the illegally detained Georgian citizen.
In her interview with the online media outlet Netgazeti, the outgoing US ambassador Kelly Degnan stressed that despite some concerns about the recent development in Georgia, the country continues to enjoy a strong partnership with the US, bipartisan support in the US Congress as well as full understanding of the State Department. In an interview, Kelly Degnan pledged on behalf of the US not to walk away from the people of Georgia and expressed hope that Georgia’s political leaders won’t walk away from the US either. She also extensively spoke of “second front” rhetoric, polarization, US sanctions against Georgian judges, and Georgia’s EU prospects.
