Minister of Economy, Giorgi Kobulia insists that the ongoing events surrounding TBC Bank Case will not affect the funding of Anaklia Port project. However, the Minister doesn’t say that these processes won’t have any influence.
“First of all, I would like to point out that we as the government support [the development of] Anaklia port. The support is expressed through funding, which we give to this project. This support and funding covers the infrastructural construction, purchasing of lands, as well as direct investments on this project, which amounts to 100 million USD. That is why nobody should doubt the fact that we are fully supporting and standing beside this project.
Regarding the influence from these processes, whole consortium is involved in this project and this is not the project of one individual and that is why I do not see big influence on this project. However, it would be surprising for me to say that the processes around TBC Bank case do not affect the project at all. Of course, it has some influence”, says Kobulia.
Mamuka Khazaradze stated that acts of certain bodies of Georgian government are undermining his and TBC Bank's reputation which also affects on Anaklia project.
"This hasty investigation, which started by the Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia, as well as leakage of information as if Badri and I are involved in criminal activity and the spreading of it in international press, is directly damaging to the procedures of forming this [Anaklia project] agreement. Can you imagine financial institution signing the deal with one of the main investors and company against which so-called non-existing case is being brought up. I won’t make any further comments on this.
At the same time, want to tell you that the government is beside us. We don’t have any setbacks in regard to this project, however, I am alarmed by the fact that one of the governmental institutions is making the statements when the investigation isn’t over and the court hearing hasn’t been announced yet”, stated Khazaradze.
On Friday TBC Bank has filed a lawsuit against National Bank of Georgia (NBG) for their decision to suspend authority for the TBC Bank's Supervisory Board Chairman Mamuka Khazaradze and Deputy Badri Japaridze.
National Bank of Georgia ordered the firing of Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TBC Bank, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze. This decision has to be implemented within the course of next two months.
