**Former Aide to Ivanishvili Forced to Leave Georgia**
Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former aide to Bidzina Ivanishvili, has written on social media that he was “forced to leave Georgia”. He claims the charges against him are “fabricated” and that he is being persecuted.
Bachiashvili blames several members of the judiciary and Prosecutor General Giorgi Gabitashvili for his troubles. He says he will not be silenced and will continue to fight from outside a prison cell.
**New Charges**
Prosecutors have filed two separate lawsuits against Bachiashvili, accusing him of embezzlement and negligence. He claims the charges are part of a larger conspiracy to silence him.
Bachiashvili was previously Ivanishvili’s aide and financial advisor before falling out of favor in 2022. He was charged with allegedly embezzling bitcoins and ordered to pay $898,000. Last week, prosecutors opened a new case against him, accusing him of negligence when he took the post of general director of Ivanishvili’s co-investment fund.
**Investigation Launched**
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into Bachiashvili for allegedly crossing the state border without permission. Tbilisi City Court Judge Davit Kurtanidze has sentenced him to pre-trial detention in absentia.
**Assistance Suspected**
Shota Karumidze, a man suspected of assisting Bachiashvili, was detained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for allegedly helping him escape from the country. Tbilisi City Court ordered Karumidze to be placed in pretrial detention.
Read More @ civil.ge