US sanctioned ex-official’s access to Georgian bank accounts restored as National Bank issues new decree

The National Bank of Georgia on Tuesday issued a new decree that allows the country’s citizens and legal entities to have access to their bank accounts until the domestic court delivers a guilty verdict and approves international sanctions imposed on them. 

 

The decree came following the US sanctioning of Otar Partskhaladze, a former Prosecutor General under the current Georgian Dream Government in 2013 on September 14 for promoting Russian influence in Georgia, and subsequent claims by the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, on Tuesday that his direct sanctioning could be unconstitutional. 

 

Kobakhidze said the National Bank could restrict the commercial or other type of activity of a citizen of a foreign country, although the Georgian citizen was “specially protected by the constitution”.

 

Partskhaladze, who had to resign after 47 days in office following a scandal over his alleged charges in Germany in early 2000s, has become the first Georgian citizen sanctioned by the US. 

 

Earlier this year the US imposed only visa restrictions on three acting and one former Georgian judges for alleged corruption and “harmful” activities. 

 

In its notes on Partskhaladze, the US Department of State also said he could have Russian citizenship, which means he will automatically lose his Georgian citizenship, as the President grants dual citizenship to individuals only on exceptional occasions. 

 

The Georgian Justice Ministry earlier this week launched studying Partskhaladze’s citizenship issue.