Ex-Georgian defense chief accused of misappropriation of $12m
Georgian Finance Ministry's Investigation Department indicted former Georgian Defense Minister David Kezerashvili in absentia for taking bribes in large size and in facilitating the smuggling of ethanol, Trend news agency reported.
In 2007-2012, Kezerashvili has made a profit of $ 12 million from ethanol fraud, representative of the Department of Investigation said at a briefing.
According to the investigation, in 2007, Kezerashvili assisted Nikoloz Davitashvili and Joseph Imnadze in imports of ethanol with no payment of customs duty and production of cognac alcohol in violation of production technology.
Kezerashvili initially assisted illegal import of ethanol from Ukraine as the head of the financial police, then as defense minister and then as an entrepreneur.
He received bribes from businessmen Davitashvili and Imnadze and then extorted money from them.
As a result of Kezerashvili's illegal activity, damage to the state amounted to $50 million.
Kezerashvili was charged under four articles of the Criminal Code of Georgia. Ex-minister faces imprisonment for a term of 11 to 15 years.
It should be noted that Kezerashvili has dual citizenship, Georgian and Israeli.
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