Politics

The majority of MPs ignore the appeal of the BOG founder’s family and elect Murtaz Kikoria as the member of the BNG board

Yesterday the Georgian Parliament discussed candidates for a vacant position in the National Bank's board. At the meeting, Darejan Silagadze's - sister of deceased Elguja Silagadze, the National Bank's founder - address to the President, the Parliament's Chairman, and the Prime Minister was released. The address contained a request to stop discussing Murtaz Kikoria's candidate to the board of the NBG.

According to Silagadze, Murtaz Kikoria was intensively involved in the process of forceful seizure of his brother’s property and the person was prosecuted for the crime. The author of the letter addressed the leaders of the country to consider this circumstance and cease the discussion of Kikoria’s candidacy for the NBG board member.

“To the President of Georgia, H.E. Giorgi Margvelashvili! Chairperson of the Parliament, Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze! Prime Minister of Georgia Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili! The statement of the citizen of Georgia, Darejan Silagadze (residing at: N39 Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel. 599743131).

It has been reported by the media sources that the candidacy of Mr. Murtaz Kikoria has been nominated by the President of the NBG, for the vacant position of the National Bank of Georgia’s board.

We should inform you that in 2004, Murtaz Kikoria was actively involved in the forceful seizure of the property of my deceased brother, the founder of Bank of Georgia JSC, Elguja Silagadze (and others). (corresponding evidence is inserted in the investigation materials). For example: Mr. Kikoria, who chaired the supervisory board of the National Bank in that period, did not respond adequately on the fact property encroachment (the record of the NBG Council’s sitting, attended by him personally and others), although it was his duty. On the contrary – Mr. Kikoria, due to some interests, on behalf of the National Bank of Georgia gave consent to the oppressors on the seizure of the assets (though he was not entitled to do so without a written consent of the National Bank’s management).

M. Kikoria’s consent was used by the oppressors to encroach the property of my brother forcefully, though they made rough mistakes in the process: the seized assets were transferred to the interested persons instead of the Bank (according some calculations, the offenders were granted with 60-70 million dollar each) Mr. Kikoria, of course, kept silence on this violation! Instead, the appropriator-offenders soon promoted Murtaz Kikoria to the position of deputy director general first and director general afterwards, where he has been working so far. A criminal case has been filed on this occurrence at the prosecutor’s office and the investigationwas intensively resumed recently. As far as we know, Murtaz Kikoria has been interrogated and he will be interrogated again. We believe that based on reasonable arguments, the members of the “criminal band”: the well-known violators, involved in this crime will be identified soon… We think that Murtaz Kikoria will be one of them.

In this situation, Murtaz Kikoria might be seeking for “immunity”, which can be a relief for other violators as well. Naturally, there is a question: was the appointment of Mr. Koba Gvenetadze as the president of the National Bank aimed at ensuring that Kikoria and others would get immunity? According to the information we have, Mr. K. Gvenetadze worked at one of the Bank of Georgia’s daughter companies before assuming the position of the NBG president! (arguably, in the period, when Kikoria was the director general). Please, take into consideration the circumstances mentioned above and cancel the discussion of Mr. Kikoria’s candidacy for the vacant positions of the Council of the National Bank of Georgia in order to ensure that the process of doing justice is not hindered in the country”, - says the letter sent by Darejan Silagadze to the Georgian President, Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister. Darejan Silagadze is the sister and the lawyer of late Elguja Silagadze, the founder of the Bank of Georgia.

Vice Speaker of the parliament, MP Irma Inashvili voiced the request of Silagadze’s family on removing the candidacy of Murtaz Kikoria at the parliament sitting yesterday. At the plenary session held on Thursday, the member of the faction Patriots of Georgia, MP Inashvili said that the letter, which she had received from the family of Elguja Silagadze, one of the founders of the Bank of Georgia, was also sent to the President, Prime Minister and the parliament speaker of Georgia.

“I have received a letter from the family of the founder of the Bank of Georgia, Elguja Silagadze, who have very serious claims towards Murtaz Kikoria. I know that the same letter was sent to the President, Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker of Georgia. The letter concerns the allegations of the family towards Murtaz Kikoria, accusing him of seizing their property. I do not want to point to anybody with the allegations of property seizure without having serious proof, however, as the member of the parliament, I have no right not to voice this request. The family asks for cancelling the discussion of Murtaz Kikoria’s candidacy”, - Inashvili said.

Finally, Inashvili’s faction of six MPs, the Patriots of Georgia, turned out to be the only subject of the parliament that did not vote for the election of Murtaz Kikoria as the member of the National Bank of Georgia board.

The majority of the MPs ignored the appeal of the BOG founder’s family and voted for Murtaz Kikoria with 90 votes against 6. As a result of the yesterday’s vote, two other members of the NBG council were also elected – Archil Mstvirishvili with 93 votes against 6 and Robert H. Singletary with 90 votes against 6.

According to the Organic Law on the National Bank of Georgia the new members of the board shall serve for seven-year term.