Georgian Parliament Speaker claims EU audit confirms misuse of funds for political interference

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday addressed recent findings by the European Court of Auditors, stating that the confirmation of non-transparent spending of €7 billion in EU funds validated earlier concerns that were once dismissed or ignored by some.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that the European Court of Auditors’ report confirmed that the €7 billion budget was managed in a non-transparent way, with indications that some of the funds were used to support violent protests.

“When such a large amount of money circulates in a non-transparent way, it's clear that some people benefit from it. Unfortunately, similar suspicions exist in Georgia, especially concerning grant funding”, the Speaker said.

“This is further proof of what we have been saying - some did not want to believe it, some to acknowledge it, and some to take responsibility for it, although they had to after the government changed in America and exposed the fraudulent schemes and politically motivated behavior of ISFED, NED, and others”, he continued.

Papuashvili further raised concerns about potential corruption associated with such non-transparent financial flows.

“Therefore, when on the one hand there is a suspicion that money is being used to interfere in the country's political life, on the other hand, a suspicion of corruption automatically arises”, the Speaker noted.