Opposition: Ivanishvili transferred $1mnl when Brazilian forests were on fire, why doesn’t he help Ukraine?

The United National Movement (UNM) opposition MP Roman Gotsiridze said today that the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili transferred one million USD when Brazilian forests were on fire, saying that “he has not ensured even one lari in financial aid of Ukraine so far.” 

Gorsiridze suggested that “we all know the reason,” noting that Ivanishvili has “close ties with Russia.” 

“Yesterday we heard a very alarming conversation. It is no secret and no one is surprised that Ivanishvili is closely connected with the Russian government and its financial circles,” Gotsiridze said today at a plenary session, responding to alleged phone conversation between Ivanishvili and Russian oligarch Vladimir Evtushenkov, the founder of Sistemas.

He stated that  this audio recording had a different content compared to previous ones and “was another proof that Georgia is run by a single man, Ivanishvili.” 

The recording was posted on YouTube yesterday by a user under the name Cyber Krama, entitled “secret emissary from Moscow arrives in Tbilisi.” 

The unidentified user said that the Russian oligarch Yevtushenkov made two calls to Ivanishvili in March to circumvent sanctions which was imposed on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, and sent his man to Tbilisi “for business,” claiming that Ivanishvili sent the man to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.