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The Georgian Prosecutor's Office reported that the former Minister of Defense of Georgia was under investigation. The reason was his possible participation in a fraudulent scheme with an international call center, due to which victims in Europe lost their savings.
According to the Georgian prosecutor's office, the accounts of David Kezerashvili and two of his relatives allegedly received illegal income in the amount of more than a million dollars.
Kezerashvili served as head of the financial police, and under Mikheil Saakashvili, who was president of Georgia from 2004 to 2013, he became defense minister. Kezerashvili was not charged.
Law enforcement agencies of Georgia and Germany took part in the investigation. In the course of their work, they identified four suspects who were charged with "fraud and money laundering as part of an organized group." According to the prosecutor's office, one of the suspects allegedly transferred money to Kezerashvili and his relatives.
"The investigation into this case is still ongoing, including with the participation of our foreign colleagues", the prosecutor's office said.
Kezerashvili did not respond to questions sent to him by email, and the law firm representing him declined to comment on the allegations.
Police on Thursday dismantled a "major fraudulent call center" in Tbilisi, seizing hundreds of computers and phones, as well as vehicles and more than $800,000 in cash. According to prosecutors, the alleged fraudsters acted as a company called Morgan Limited LLC.
In 2020, OCCRP reported on a network of call centers spanning Georgia, Albania, and Ukraine, with an army of salespeople persistently offering victims around the world questionable investments. The centers used different names, in Ukraine they were known as Milton Group, and in Georgia as Morgan Limited.
They deceived vulnerable and elderly people, forcing them to transfer large sums to fraudsters under the guise of investments. According to Spanish police estimates published in 2022, victims lost billions of euros due to the scheme.
The Georgian prosecutor's office reported that a criminal group neutralized on Thursday lured about $ 2.9 million from citizens of Germany, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Call center employees registered victims on cryptocurrency exchanges, and then transferred the "virtual assets" they bought to the digital wallets of the criminal group. At the same time, victims were shown fictitious platforms that simulated the growth of their investments.
"When victims demanded the return of invested funds or profits, all communication with them was stopped", the prosecutor's office said.
In 2013, Kezerashvili was accused of accepting $12 million in bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to the smuggling of alcohol from Ukraine to Georgia. As a result, he was cleared of the charges, which, according to him, were politically motivated.
Source
According to the Georgian prosecutor's office, the accounts of David Kezerashvili and two of his relatives allegedly received illegal income in the amount of more than a million dollars.
Kezerashvili served as head of the financial police, and under Mikheil Saakashvili, who was president of Georgia from 2004 to 2013, he became defense minister. Kezerashvili was not charged.
Law enforcement agencies of Georgia and Germany took part in the investigation. In the course of their work, they identified four suspects who were charged with "fraud and money laundering as part of an organized group." According to the prosecutor's office, one of the suspects allegedly transferred money to Kezerashvili and his relatives.
"The investigation into this case is still ongoing, including with the participation of our foreign colleagues", the prosecutor's office said.
Kezerashvili did not respond to questions sent to him by email, and the law firm representing him declined to comment on the allegations.
Police on Thursday dismantled a "major fraudulent call center" in Tbilisi, seizing hundreds of computers and phones, as well as vehicles and more than $800,000 in cash. According to prosecutors, the alleged fraudsters acted as a company called Morgan Limited LLC.
In 2020, OCCRP reported on a network of call centers spanning Georgia, Albania, and Ukraine, with an army of salespeople persistently offering victims around the world questionable investments. The centers used different names, in Ukraine they were known as Milton Group, and in Georgia as Morgan Limited.
They deceived vulnerable and elderly people, forcing them to transfer large sums to fraudsters under the guise of investments. According to Spanish police estimates published in 2022, victims lost billions of euros due to the scheme.
The Georgian prosecutor's office reported that a criminal group neutralized on Thursday lured about $ 2.9 million from citizens of Germany, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Call center employees registered victims on cryptocurrency exchanges, and then transferred the "virtual assets" they bought to the digital wallets of the criminal group. At the same time, victims were shown fictitious platforms that simulated the growth of their investments.
"When victims demanded the return of invested funds or profits, all communication with them was stopped", the prosecutor's office said.
In 2013, Kezerashvili was accused of accepting $12 million in bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to the smuggling of alcohol from Ukraine to Georgia. As a result, he was cleared of the charges, which, according to him, were politically motivated.
Source
