Georgian Parliament official questions German Ambassador’s impartiality over apartment rental from opposition leader

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, on Friday has raised questions about the impartiality of German Ambassador Peter Fischer, following reports that the Ambassador has been renting an apartment from the family of Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the opposition Lelo party.

In his remarks, Gorduladze noted that it was unacceptable for a diplomat to rent property from a person involved in politics and then claim to be unbiased.

“How can a diplomat rent property from a person involved in politics and then claim to be impartial? The lack of a contract gives us reason to believe that a lack of transparency has become a concern for Eurocracy, and it seems a diplomat is also involved in all of this”, the Parliament official said.

“For one year, the German Ambassador has been renting property from a leader and founder of a so-called opposition and UNM-affiliated party, and then he claims to be unbiased. This is neither European nor democratic”, he asserted.

Georgian media on Friday reported that Peter Fischer, Germany’s Ambassador to Georgia, was allegedly renting an apartment from Irina Khazaradze, the spouse of Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the opposition Lelo party.

It remains unclear whether a formal lease agreement has been signed and whether the Khazaradze family is declaring the income and paying the appropriate taxes.