Comment

2,5 tetries from per pack of cigarette goes to the budget of Georgian Dream Party– yet another audio released on Omega Group case (video)

Courier news program broadcast on Rustavi2 has obtained yet another audio record of conversation, which allegedly contains the dialogue between the stakeholder of Tbilisi Tobacco, Irakli Chubinishvili and the founder of omega Group.

The speaker says that 2,5, tetries from per pack of sold cigarette is transferred to the fund of Georgian Dream and it total, the sum transferred to unofficial account of the ruling party reaches tens of millions.

The director of Tbilisi Tobacco, Lekso Andriadze talks to a representative of Omega management and says that from per pack of sold cigarette, certain portion goes to the funds of the party.

Another tape obtained by Courier contains the conversation between Zaza Okuashvili and Tbilisi Tobacco stakeholder, Irakli Chubinishvili, where the speaker says that they give money to the party. Irakli Chubinishvili says that everybody has to pay to the party, mentions Vano Chkhartishvili and also someone named “Bidzi”, which, presumably, means Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Irakli Chubinishvili: “Now the system that was developed there is the following – everybody pays money, foreigners, they all pay. The foreigners pay 2,5 tetries for per pack sold, 12,5 GEL for per box sold and this is directly taken under the minister’s order. We were told to bring what was said and the rest we are helping the situation of that “first”. There, actually, as I got, it will be spent on elections. We paid it in July, August and will pay for September too,” – is heard on the tape.

It is also heard on the tape that the money was designated for local elections of 2017. Chubinishvili says that they had to pay in July, August and will have to pay in September too and now they were asked to pay more because of elections.

Irakli Chubinishvili: “We were asked to give because of elections and not because of... actually, on the other hand, the case of Bidzi is not our business. Now you are an experienced businessman and it is up to you to decide. I am telling you how we have settled this and if you want the same, when Lekso meets the minister, he will say OGT’s due is 2,5 tetries. If you want, he should not tell anything but just take our portion. We just have to give you the information. As for what usually goes in the channel of the party, the case is not to count exactly 2,5 tetries, so we tell them approximate quantity and that we can to pay this much now and that much the next month. We had to pay a lot this time, more than we had promised, over 60 GEL, but I am going to balance this somehow. I am not going to make them get accustomed, they just asked because of elections and they directly told us specific amount and we simply gave it to them”, – Chubinishvili is heard saying from the tape.