Georgian military brass accused of misuse of state funds
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 October 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgian military brass accused of misuse of state funds, 29 October 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548ea67615.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 29, 2014
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
The Georgian prosecutor's office says five current and former senior military officials have been arrested on suspicion of misusing of state funds.
In a statement on October 28, the prosecutor's office said that the Defense Ministry and armed forces General Staff officials – four current and one former – are suspected of misspending more than $2.3 million.
The suspects, whose names were not made public, are accused of arranging a sham tender last year for laying fiber optic cable and procuring equipment.
The United States has urged Georgian authorities to avoid using the courts as a political lever since an opposition coalition defeated then-President Mikheil Saakashvili's long-ruling party in a 2012 parliamentary election.
Last week, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki stressed "the importance of due process and rule of law and of conducting investigations with transparency to avoid even the perception that the judicial system is being used for political retribution."
With reporting by civil.ge
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
