Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili demanded to launch an investigation into the case of former Prosecutor General of Georgia Otar Partskhaladze sanctioned by the United States. According to Zurabishvili, “the biggest misfortune” is that the country’s Prosecutor General was an FSB [Russian] agent. Zurabishvili said this while speaking at a meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations.
“I think despite the fact that Mr. Kakha [Kaladze, Tbilisi mayor] said that the biggest trouble is my visits to Europe, actually the biggest trouble is when the country’s prosecutor general was an FSB or KGB agent. That’s the biggest trouble. And it is an even bigger trouble when there is no panic about it in the agencies that are supposed to investigate it today. I am here before you demanding that the public respond with a detailed investigation. This is not a request, but a demand.”
On September 14, the United States imposed sanctions against Otar Partskhaladze. This is related to his business activities and cooperation with the Russian FSB. Before the official announcement of the decision, the media reported that a “Georgian-Russian oligarch” was among those subject to sanctions.
According to the US State Department, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) worked with Otar Partskhaladze to influence Georgian society and politics in favor of Russia.
In addition, the U.S. State Department statement said that in addition to Partskhaladze, sanctions were imposed on Russian intelligence officer Alexander Onishchenko, who allegedly helped “his accomplice Partskhaladze obtain a Russian passport and possibly Russian citizenship.”
On September 18, it became known that the National Bank of Georgia restricted former Prosecutor General and under U.S. sanctions Otar Partskhaladze’s access to bank assets and financial transactions. All his accounts have been frozen.
As the National Bank explained, the sanctioned person is restricted both in the disposal of funds and in the ability to conduct all types of financial transactions.
