UNM: Russian and Iranian money, sanctions and fraud schemes show ‘real price’ of Ivanishvili's Georgia

United National Movement (UNM) Governing Board member Lasha Parulava accused the Georgian government of allowing Russian and Iranian money, sanctions-related activities, terrorism-linked financial schemes and fraudulent call centres to operate in the country.

"Russian and Iranian money, sanctions, financial schemes linked to terrorism and fraudulent call centres - this is Ivanishvili's Georgia, where people are losing hope for the future," Parulava said.

He argued that the developments amounted to the destruction of Georgia's state institutions, its future and its European path.

Parulava also criticised the regulation of the cryptocurrency sector, saying that the National Bank of Georgia has been responsible for regulating the sector since 2023. He therefore placed political responsibility on Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and National Bank President Natia Turnava.

Parulava added cryptocurrency mining operations associated with Ivanishvili and businessman Giorgi Bachiashvili in Tbilisi's Gldani district generated billions of dollars in revenue, while the public ultimately paid the cost through higher electricity tariffs and repeated power outages.

He further claimed that the same free economic zone where such businesses were registered had subsequently become linked to financial activities allegedly connected to the financing of terrorism.

"This is the real price of the Ivanishvili regime: they are getting richer while Georgia is losing its reputation," Parulava said.

"Russian and Iranian money, sanctions, financial schemes linked to terrorism and fraudulent call centres - this is Ivanishvili's Georgia, where people are losing hope for the future. This is the destruction of our state, our children's future and Georgia's European path to fill the pockets of one Russian oligarch," he added.

Parulava said responsibility for the situation rests with the Georgian Dream government and Turnava, adding that Turnava would ultimately be held accountable alongside what he called the "conductor" of the current government.