Accounts of Citizens Linked with Foundation Komagi Sequestered

Elene Chumburidze

Interrogation of people, who had applied to the foundation Komagi for help at different times, has been underway since June. New group of citizens linked with Komagi was summoned for the interrogation; their accounts are completely sequestered.

Based on the applications, the charity foundation of Komagi mediated citizens with Georgian emigrants who could financially assist people.

Citizens, who had lost jobs on political or other grounds, or live below poverty level, applied to the foundation Komagi which got in touch with rich Georgian emigrants living abroad. The emigrants transferred certain amounts of money to the accounts of citizens. It is noteworthy that those people, who had lost jobs, received the sum equal to their monthly salaries. Funds allocated in June were immediately sequestered and account owners were summoned to various departments of the MIA for interrogation. They were interrogated as witnesses under Article 194 of Criminal Code of Georgia that envisages punishment for money laundering.

Lawyer of the foundation Komagi Shalva Shavgulidze said some of the interrogated citizens did not have sums transferred on their accounts but their accounts were sequestered. Among them was a retired person whose pension account was sequestered.

Citizens, who were not allowed to enjoy this assistance, asked their relatives to receive the transferred funds to their accounts. Although it was expected that bank accounts of the relatives would also be sequestered, the damaged citizens ran risk.

Impoverished Aleksandre Mshvidobadze was called to interrogation on September 7. Lawyer of the Human Rights Center Nestan Londaridze defends his rights. Aleksandre Mshvidobadze is retired person; he has old parents and a sister who is the only family member who has income. Several months ago, his sister’s account was sequestered because of her connection with the Komagi. This time, the brother applied to the charity foundation for help. The sum transferred on September 7 is still sequestered for the same charge – attempt of money laundering.

Lawyer Nestan Londaridze said there are no signs of attempted money laundering in this case. According to her clarification, money laundering means to retransfer the received money for gaining percents. Consequently, this accusation is completely groundless because the account holders needed the money for the improvement of their social conditions. Simultaneously, they have not transferred the money to another account because it was sequestered. “The biggest violation in this case is that citizens are extremely poor and certain people assist them. However, government blocks this allowance to reach the people,” Nestan Londaridze said.

The lawyer added that another violation is that citizens had not received any notifications about interrogation beforehand.

Currently, accounts of all citizens linked with foundation Komagi are sequestered.