The Georgian opposition representatives have slammed the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili for using a commercial flight to attend the beginning of his son’s academic year at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. 

In her social media post on Thursday, Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition MP, said the charter flight from New York to Paris cost around $80,000, alleging the price would be higher from Tbilisi. 

“What a shame and disgusting indecency when a student child, who should feel like a student, travel with a backpack and learn social equality, is jet-lagged to the university”, she said, pointing to alleged corruption. 

Nino Giorgobiani, the head of the Strategic Communications Department at the Government of Georgia, on Wednesday said “specific media outlets” were trying to create a scandal over the PM’s departure to the US in August to be with his son upon the beginning of the academic year. 

“They [the media outlets] are looking for a new scandal, but as in other cases, there is nothing scandalous here. Every person has the desire and the right to be by his child's side at such an important time. Neither the law was violated nor the state expenses incurred. the PM was on a private visit to the US and his trip, as well as charter [commercial[ flight or any other expenses were not paid from the state budget”, she claimed. 

Giorgobiani noted the PM was filling out an asset declaration every year detailing all the expenses incurred, “so wait for the next declaration to be published”.