The Tbilisi City Court has fined the far-right pro-Russian party Conservative Movement, an offspring of Alt-Info TV channel owners, GEL 216 thousand (USD 72.8 thousand) for incorrectly declaring funds and concealment of non-monetary donations.
The Court was approached with the relevant appeal by the State Audit Office.
The State Audit argued party had not declared funds in the amount of GEL 72 thousand. Per Georgian legislation and the Court’s ruling delivered on June 3, the party must now pay three times that amount.
The Audit took issue with the party on two points, including for non-reporting financial turnover for December in a 2021 declaration, despite opening offices throughout Georgia that month.
Secondly, per the Audit, the party had hidden non-cash donations they had received in the form of “branded materials and the renovation of regional offices.”
Konstantine Morgoshia, Alt-right leader, told TV Pirveli that the group was “slandered” and that the Audit’s Office “made it seem as though there was wrongful spending or something similar.”
“We have donors, and it will not be difficult for us to keep functioning, nor will we have a problem with this fine, although we will still appeal [the decision].”
The group became notorious after spearheading July 5 homophobic pogroms when far-right groups came out en-masse against a planned LGBTQ+ pride parade and assaulted over 50 journalists. No organizers of the attacks have been brought to justice.
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