Georgian Anti-Corruption Bureau fines opposition leader Mamuka Khazaradze for concealing income from renting property to German Ambassador

The Georgian Anti-Corruption Bureau has fined Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the opposition Lelo party, for failing to declare income received from renting his apartment to Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia. The violation was discovered during the examination of his asset declarations.

According to the Bureau, Khazaradze failed, over several years, to disclose income generated from renting property to the German Ambassador.

The investigation revealed multiple violations in his asset declaration, including incomplete information about his and his spouse’s property, as well as a rental agreement between his wife and the German Embassy.

The Bureau noted that Khazaradze had requested additional time to submit the required documentation, which was granted, but he ultimately failed to provide all necessary documents, including statements from his foreign bank accounts.

It remains unclear how much Khazaradze was fined. According to available information, a house in Old Tbilisi district that Khazaradze gifted to his wife in 2022 was rented that same year to Ambassador Peter Fischer.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also addressed the issue, stating that “this case was not only financial but also political. Mamuka Khazaradze did not want to reveal that he had rented his house to the German Ambassador, which is a completely improper step from both a political and diplomatic standpoint”.