Bill allows anti-corruption bureau, not gov’t, to recognize a person as oligarch

A recently established anti-corruption bureau, whose chair is appointed by the country’s prime minister, will be granted the right to recognise an individual as an oligarch instead of the country’s government, an amended bill proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party said. 

 

The adoption of the deoligarchisation bill is part of conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting Georgia its membership candidate status. 

 

Anri Okhanashvili, the chair of the parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, on Wednesday said the bill had been amended based on the recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and claimed his party had also used the assessments of the European Commission issued for the similar Ukrainian law. 

 

He also said the amended bill offered legal procedures and opportunities if an individual recognized as an oligarch disputed the status. 

 

The anti-corruption bureau has also been created as part of the EU conditions. However, the domestic civil sector challenged the election procedures of the agency head and put its independence under the question mark.