Ruling party Sec-Gen rejects claims of political motive behind Ivanishvili’s ex-ally Bachiashvili’s arrest

Incumbent Tbilisi Mayor and ruling Georgian Dream party Secretary General Kakha Kaladze has dismissed suggestions that the arrest of former investment fund head Giorgi Bachiashvili was politically motivated, saying the charges against him were based on “concrete crimes”.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kaladze said Bachiashvili was attempting to portray himself as a political prisoner, but insisted the allegations were well known to the public.

“Bachiashvili has committed a specific crime. Of course, he has tried - and continues to try - to present his detention as politically motivated. In reality, everyone knows what he has done; it is clear to all,” Kaladze said. “So I am not surprised by commissioned articles against Bidzina Ivanishvili. The events surrounding this person are obvious and transparent to everyone.”

Bachiashvili, a former confidant of ex-Prime Minister and the GD founder Ivanishvili, was arrested in May 2025 on charges of embezzling approximately 9,000 bitcoins, valued at over $43 million, from Ivanishvili's investment in a cryptocurrency mining venture. The funds, the prosecution claimed, had been misappropriated between 2015 and 2017, leading to charges of unlawful appropriation and money laundering.

Kaladze’s comments came in response to remarks from Temo Tsikvadze, Ivanishvili’s lawyer, who had accused international media outlets covering the case of acting on “mercantile interests” and being hired by Bachiashvili or his family to discredit Ivanishvili.

Regarding sanctions previously imposed on Ivanishvili by the US for alleged democratic backsliding in Georgia, Kaladze described them as based on “slander and lies” and expressed hope for improved relations under the current American administration.

“All of this is false and slanderous. The previous administration was engaged only in threats and defamation. Every statement they made was based on lies. The decision they took regarding Ivanishvili was absurd, false and nonsensical,” Kaladze said. “We have great hope that under the new administration, attitudes will change and relations will begin on a new page.”