Zourabichvili: ‘Ivanishvili imported $500 million art collection without taxes

Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has accused billionaire and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili of importing an art collection worth half a billion dollars without paying customs duties.

In a post on social media, Zourabichvili highlighted what she described as a clear injustice in Georgia, pointing out that while peaceful demonstrators were fined a total of $300,000 in a single day, Ivanishvili was allegedly able to bypass customs fees on his valuable art collection.

She further linked the issue to recent controversial legislation, suggesting that Ivanishvili benefited from the “offshore law” and sanctions evasion, allowing him to bring the collection into Georgia without financial penalties.