The parliamentary opposition in Georgia is calling for a commission to investigate the sources of wealth of Irakli Garibashvili, the former prime minister and current leader of the ruling party ‘Georgian Dream.The statement was made by deputies at a press conference held in parliament.
Leader of one opposition party, Aleko Elisashvili, emphasizes the need for transparency to ascertain whether Irakli Garibashvili and his family are involved in corruption:
“We demand transparency, transparency, and only transparency. We do not want to rely on rumors and assumptions. As members of the Georgian parliament, we are initiating the establishment of an investigative commission regarding possible undocumented assets of Irakli Garibashvili and his family.”
The latest scandal involving corruption in Irakli Garibashvili’s family followed a statement by the former prime minister that his retired father owns a multi-million dollar business and property.
Previously, Irakli Garibashvili stated in his tax declaration that he received a gift from his parents in 2023 amounting to 150,000 laris [approximately $56,000].
The father of the former prime minister, Tariel Garibashvili, is an unemployed pensioner who officially does not own any business, although he possesses a large house and 4.5 hectares of land in his native municipality.
Records show that Tariel Garibashvili began buying land in 2014, after his son became prime minister. Until 2012, when “Georgian Dream” came to power, Garibashvili’s father held a position as one of the village trustees and owned only the family home and a piece of land, according to an investigation by the TV company “Mtavari Arkhi.”
According to the official version, Tariel Garibashvili not only gifts his son with large sums of money but also spoils him in other ways. For instance, in August 2023, the prime minister used a government plane for personal purposes—flying from Tbilisi to Munich and back, costing 34,000 euros. Garibashvili claims that this trip was also paid for by his father.
At that time, the prime minister told journalists that he came from an affluent family that never had any problems. However, there is an interview from 2013 with Tariel Garibashvili where he mentions sending his son to study in France with money collected from friends. During his studies, Irakli Garibashvili worked as a waiter and contributed financially to the family.
