Georgian Dream founder and former Prime Minister, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili has faced “certain hindrances” in London, New York City, and Germany between the start of March and mid-April, lawyer Viktor Kipiani said in a statement delivered to the media today.
Kipiani, Senior Partner at MKD Law, representing Ivanishvili, argued the obstacles have “suspiciously coincided” with the billionaire’s dispute with Credit Suisse, which is said to have delayed a USD 600 million payment to the GD founder, won in a Bermuda court settlement.
Namely, the lawyer said Ivanishvili faced troubles in “timely and effectively” moving artworks from London and New York, and transporting a new helicopter from Germany to Tbilisi.
Ivanishvili overcame the obstacles “relatively easily” in New York, while in London the issue was solved “with legal and other channels,” Kipiani noted. As for Germany, the helicopter that was supposed to be fetched to Tbilisi in early March arrived in mid-April, with the “artificially created problem” again solved through legal means, per the lawyer’s account.
Without giving further details on the said cases, Kipiani noted that Ivanishvili would similarly pursue to resolve the fresh dispute with Credit Suisse trustee, Green Vals Trust, in court.
In the lengthy statement, the lawyer also slammed the CS trustee for delaying the payment without “any reasoned explanations.”
“It is clear that this resilience and inaccessibility does not bode well for the banking group either legally or in the context of reputation,” Kipiani warned.
The lawyer also criticized the government-critical Mtavari Arkhi TV, which aired a report yesterday suspecting that Ivanishvili could be facing imminent sanctions from the West “over the close link with Russia and the country’s elite.”
Georgia’s Geopolitical Crossroads
“Our country, in the quite difficult time, has ended up at the crossroads of quite complex geopolitical processes,” Kipiani said.
He argued that “there are multiple challenges that pose a real threat to stable and forecastable development of our country.”
The lawyer claimed that the Georgian Dream Government does its best to ensure an “environment for safe and stable development and overcome existing challenges.”
According to Kipiani, Ivanishvili’s “personal position on the development of the country is connected with the development of Georgia and the interests of its public.”
Kipiani claimed that professional communication with Ivanishvili has convinced him that any doubts about the billionaire’s “stance and attitude on the country’s national interests are completely groundless.”
As the GD founder prepares to launch a new battle against one of the world’s largest financial institutions, the ruling party members, including chair Irakli Kobakhidze have advanced accusations that specific forces from abroad are pushing the billionaire to return to politics and make a choice “for war.”
In this context, pundits closely aligned with the GD yesterday directly pointed accusatory fingers at the U.S.
Also Read for Background:
- As Ivanishvili Battles Swiss Bank, GD Hints at U.S. Pushing Georgia into War
- Ukraine’s Podolyak Takes Aim at Ivanishvili’s Russia Links
- Report Details Ivanishvili’s Purported Business Links to Russia
- Tapes Suggest Business Dealings Between Ivanishvili, Sanctioned Russian Tycoon
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