Irakli Kobakhidze Addresses Prime Minister Gharibashvili's Alleged Use of Government Funds for Personal Use
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, September 11, 2023
Following allegations made by investigative journalist Nodar Meladze on 'TV Pirveli,' it was claimed that Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili utilized an official government aircraft for a personal trip, accompanied by multiple family members. According to Meladze's report, Gharibashvili initially transported his eldest son to Munich via a government plane before subsequently traveling to the USA aboard a commercial passenger flight. Based on the information provided by Meladze, the government plane remained in Munich until August 28 to transport Irakli Gharibashvili back to Georgia.
In response to these allegations, Anzor Chubinidze, the Head of the Special Service of State Protection, issued a statement. According to Chubinidze, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili's trip to the USA was privately funded, and no government budget funds were used for this visit as it was a commercial endeavor.
"This visit was of commercial nature, as stated in the order from the beginning. Naturally, the payment for this visit would be made by a non-budgetary organization or a private individual.
According to the legislation of Georgia, the Special State Protection Service is obligated to ensure the safety of not only the Prime Minister but also all of his security personnel, both within and outside the territory of Georgia. We cannot consider the nature of the visit as a precondition for not fulfilling this," Anzor Chubinidze stated.
Tamaz Gaiashvili, the founder of Georgian Airways, confirmed that Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and his family were transported to Germany by his company, and this arrangement was made under the authority of government security.
The Chairman of the Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, responded to the allegations by stating that Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili had utilized a charter flight, and no funds were expended from the national budget for this purpose. According to him, speculations regarding Irakli Gharibashvili continue.
Kobakhidze also criticized the previous government, asserting that during their tenure, the representatives of the prior administration treated the budget as if it were their personal fund. He compared this with the present government, adding that no money from the budget is now allocated for personal purposes.
"For a long time, the opposition claimed that Saakashvili's expenses were not a problem and not a crime, while, in reality, the budget covered his personal needs. Today, the Prime Minister used a charter, and not a single Tetri from the budget was spent on it. This is the reality.
Regarding the expenditure itself, it will be declared and made public, including income and expenses. Everything is transparent today. Yet, speculations about this topic persist. I'll reiterate that our standards are entirely different. In the past, the previous government treated the budget as their personal cash register. Today, not a single Tetri from the budget is used for personal needs. The Prime Minister covered these expenses personally, and all related costs will be disclosed in the declaration," stated Kobakhidze.
