US sanctions Georgia’s former Prosecutor General Partskhaladze

The United States has imposed sanctions on Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of Georgia in 2013, under the current Georgian Dream authorities. 

 

The US State Department referred to Partskhaladze as a Georgian-Russian oligarch, who had been cooperating with Russian intelligence, Associated Press reported on Thursday. 

 

Along with Partskhaladze, the sanctions applied to 24 more individuals. 

 

The US State Department also sanctioned Russian citizen Aleksandre Onishchenko for his “harmful influence” on Georgia. 

 

The body described Onishchenko as an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service who allegedly helped his partner Parkhaladze obtain a Russian passport and possibly Russian citizenship. According to the State Department, Partskhaladze had completely mastered the Russian identity and traveled to Moscow often.

 

According to their reports, Onishchenko and the Federal Security Service of Russia had used their leverage on Partskhaladze to influence the Georgian public and politics in favor of Russia, pointing to Partskhaladze’s “personnel benefits” from his Russian links. 

 

Sanctions were also applied to two management consulting companies based in Russia, 50 percent of which are owned by Partskhaladze – LLC Moscow Business Brokerage and LLC International Business Corporation.