Society

Business Bribery Special Operation named White Crow – yet another scandalous secret audio recording

Business Bribery Special Operation named White Crow – yet another scandalous secret audio proves that Bidzina Ivanishvili tries to bribe Zaza Okuashvili. The tape released on television outlines the fact of business racketeering by the Georgian Dream chairperson.

The secretly recorded audio tape contains the conversations held at the ministry of finance at the 26^th of October night. The negotiation is chaired by the minister of finance Vano Matchavariani. The participants are discussing the details of an already taken decision with the representatives of Omega Group.

On the tape, the minister is heard to be giving special instructions to the chief of the revenue office and it shows that on the second day of the presidential elections Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team has taken political decision on the relief million GEL debt for Okuashvili’s company and at the recorded meeting the final details are discussed.

According to the tape, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s former expert and the current deputy minister of finance, Mikheil Dundua urges the parties to conceal all these procedures so that it is not followed by a public controversy.

The conversation reveals that the government is prepared to forgive 42 million-debt to the businessman, but the deal should be made secretly and it “should be seen as the White Crow’.

Ivane Matchavariani: So, we finally get what? A tax deal, right?

Mikheil Dondua: Yes, we get the tax deal. I think something like this, well the thing we have done with others too.

Ivane Matchavariani: Well, we have but the tax deal is up to the government.

Mikheil Dondua: Yes it is and this issue should be added to what is obvsiously… this issue, some version…

Giorgi Kurdadze: Yes, we have discussed this and…

Mikheil Dondua: We’ll do this in a way that neither the “white crow” is seen nor you miss something.

Ivane Matchavariani: And this tax deal is the practice and we sometimes do it as you know, but this is the issue to be approved by the government. You have already paid this right? (1 million lari).

Giorgi Kurdadze: It has been paid (1 million lari).

Ivane Matchavariani: Have you done this transaction?

Nikoloz Asanidze: Yes.

The meeting was held on the 26^th of October, according to the tape. This is the day when Zaza Okuashvili announces to have a live interview for a special statement from London at 4 PM. Meanwhile, Kartu Bank contacts the directors of Omega Group and approves 8 million GEL loan to the company within two hours with no guarantee; the revenue office is ready to issue excise marks worth of 4 million GEL after a three-month refusal and issues them 40 minutes after the sum is paid by the company. Amid these processes, the ministry of finance writes off 52 million GEL debt to Okuashvili’s company.

According to the plan, the greatest part of the debt – 30 million will be written off the company and ten million will be covered during the next five years. The payment shall begin after two years.

The active engagement of Mikheil Dundua, one of Ivanishvili’s closest team, in this process proves that the instruction on writing off the debt to Omega Group, was received from Bidzina Ivanishvili in person.

At the end of the conversation, the participants leave the night meeting after reaching a verbal agreement, of which British Embassy was also notified. The deal should be made in written afterwards.

However, the verbal agreement has not been made in document yet.