Parliament to consider Badri Japaridze’s mandate following conviction
According to Japaridze, if the Georgian Dream party discusses the issue of revoking his mandate, it will be assessed as an attempt of political persecution. Photo: Lelo for Georgia/Facebook.
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Following a court decision in which TBC Bank co-founders Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze were convicted of fraud in a case dating back to 2008, it remains to be seen whether the former will remain a member of parliament.
Khazaradze’s MP status was revoked in mid-November at his request.
When a court issues a guilty verdict against a member of parliament, the issue of termination of authority arises. We will, of course, discuss the issue and present the conclusion to the plenary session of the Parliament,” said Irakli Kadagishvili, chairman of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules.
The Parliament has 15 days to make a formal decision on Japaridze’s MP mandate following the ruling’s entry into force.
The conclusion will be sent to the bureau [after which] the Parliament of Georgia will decide on the termination of powers based on political expediency. Therefore, the parliament will have the final say,” Georgian Dream party MP Guram Macharashvili said.
For Japaridze’s mandate to be revoked, at least 76 MPs must vote in favour of stripping Japaridze of his MP status in the 150-member parliament.
Both Japaridze and Khazardze have denied the charges brought against them.
According to Japaridze, if the Georgian Dream party discusses the issue of revoking his mandate, it will be assessed as an attempt of political persecution.
As for the termination of my parliamentary mandate, I’ve listened to the assessment of the leaders of the Georgian Dream, they say that they will discuss this issue. I have not heard any categorical statement from them,” he said.
Lelo for Georgia won four seats in parliament in the 2020 parliamentary elections. In the recent municipal elections Lelo candidates failed to win any of the mayoral constituencies.
Georgian politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have responded to yesterday’s conviction of TBC Bank and Lelo Party founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze in a case dating back to events in 2008.
Founders of TBC Bank and current leaders of the Lelo opposition party Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison by Tbilisi City Court today, but due to the statute of limitations their prison time was waived.
The final hearing in a case of alleged money laundering involving founders of TBC Bank and current leaders of the Lelo Opposition party, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, has been postponed to January 11 on the request of the prosecution.
The Georgian parliament has suspended the MP status of Lelo party founder Mamuka Khazaradze and leader of the Girchi-More Freedom opposition party Zurab Japaridze earlier today with 79 votes in the 150-member state legislature, per their request.
The Georgian parliament's Procedural Issues Committee approved suspension of parliamentary member status for three opposition leaders and the former speaker on Monday, bringing the process closer to formal revocation of their positions.
Two Georgian-based non-governmental organisations have called on the country’s parliament not to support removal of MP status from three opposition leaders, following an approval of the Procedural Issues Committee to revoke their positions on Monday.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has rejected calls made by opposition figures to restore proportional lists that would allow replacement of MPs whose status is being suspended in voting in the legislative body, with officials from the party pointing out to a past support for removal of the reserve lists by the opposition.
The Georgian parliament has approved suspension of parliamentary member status for opposition's Elene Khoshtaria, Shalva Natelashvili and Badri Japaridze and former speaker Kakha Kuchava today.