Ruling party official backs Prosecutor’s Office on freezing bank accounts of several so-called “foundations” engaged in funding violent actions

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday expressed full confidence in the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the freezing of several “foundation” bank accounts.

The Georgian Prosecutor's Office on Monday announced the freezing of bank accounts belonging to several foundations. The Office reported that the so-called “foundations” had been using a significant portion of the collected funds to provide financial support to individuals charged with organising and participating in acts of group violence, as well as their family members, noting that “in addition to financing violent actions, this practice creates incentives for individuals to engage in illegal activities for material gain”.

In his remarks, Mdinaradze noted there was no reason to doubt the Office’s claims, as they align with what has been witnessed firsthand.

“We have no reason not to believe the Prosecutor's Office, because what we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears confirms the same thing that the Prosecutor's Office said in its statement today. [...] The purpose of these foundations, in addition to encouraging violence is to abolish the function of the state. When someone commits an offense and is told that the fine will be paid on their behalf, this is an attempt to nullify the role of the state. It is a dangerous act - perhaps even more harmful than committing the offense itself. This is an outright incitement to crime”, the ruling party official said.

“Penalties and fines are imposed in every state to serve as preventive measures against criminal or administrative offenses. However, the funding of fines by external organizations effectively eliminates this preventive mechanism. Unfortunately, European Union foundations, USAID, and other foreign-funded organisations were involved in this process. Their actions effectively removed the deterrent purpose of fines, which is a clear attempt to weaken the state. This is a form of covert warfare against one’s own country”, he noted.

He concluded by stating that the Prosecutor’s Office had taken the necessary steps to investigate and halt these activities, leading to the freezing of the funds.