**Georgian Opposition Leader to Be Charged for Refusal to Appear at Commission**
A parliamentary commission investigating alleged crimes under the previous Georgian government plans to charge Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the opposition party Lelo, for refusing to appear at a meeting.
The commission’s chairwoman, Tea Tsulukiani, said that Khazaradze called the commission a “circus” and refused to participate. She added that refusing to appear before the commission is a criminal offense and that the case against him will be sent to the prosecutor’s office.
**Commission Hears Testimony from Jemal Leonidze**
The commission also heard testimony from Jemal Leonidze, who owned a company called Magnati, and his lawyer Roin Migriauli. The case concerns alleged business racketeering against Leonidze under the previous government.
Leonidze claimed that Mamuka Khazaradze and his associate Badri Japaridze were involved in the case as representatives of TBC Bank. However, Khazaradze denied any involvement on social media.
**Khazaradze Faces Legal Disputes**
This is not the first legal dispute for Khazaradze. In 2022, he was sentenced to prison along with his associates Badri Japaridze and Avtandil Tserteli for alleged fraud. However, they were later acquitted due to a statute of limitations.
A local watchdog, TI-Georgia, stated that the case was “unambiguously politically motivated” and aimed at punishing opponents of the Georgian government.
**The Commission’s Purpose**
The GD Parliamentary Commission is tasked with examining the activities of the previous United National Government in 2003-2012. This comes ahead of the 2024 general election, where the promise to ban the “collective UNM” was a campaign pillar for the ruling party.
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