National Bank’s move to restore US sanctioned ex-official’s access to domestic accounts “endangered” banking system – opposition

The Lelo opposition party on Tuesday said the latest move by the National Bank of Georgia to restore access of former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, sanctioned by the US last week for promoting Russian interests in Georgia, to his bank accounts until a domestic court approved the sanctions, would “endanger” the whole banking  system. 

 

The opposition claimed the National Bank and its acting chair Natia Turnava, a former Economy Minister, would not have changed the initial approach to Partskhaladze without the “personal involvement” of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party labeled as a “shadow ruler’ by domestic opposition groups. 

 

“With this decision, Georgia moves even further away from EU policies. The Russian Government continues to sabotage Georgia’s European path”, said the party. 

 

Partskhaladze, who took official post in 2013, appeared on the sanctions list along with 150 individuals, with the US Department of State saying Aleksandr Onishchenko, an officer of Russia’s FSB, had reportedly assisted his associate Partskhaladze in obtaining a Russian passport and possibly Russian citizenship. 

 

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the country’s Justice Ministry was looking into his citizenship issue, while adding that direct sanctioning of Georgian citizens without the approval of domestic institutions could be unconstitutional. 

 

If Partskhaladze’s Russian citizenship is confirmed, it means he will automatically lose his Georgian citizenship.