FBI investigates corruption weapon-purchase deals of Georgian officials

In 2008, Georgian bureaucrats imported weapons into Georgia from Israel under a corruption scheme. Last week, this statement was made by a representative of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As stated by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, they now wait for official materials from FBI; then, they will start an inquiry. So far, the point is in international-level corruption deals of Georgian authorities to the total sum of up to 30 million US dollars, mainly, ammunition was bought at overprices. The FBI received this information in the course of investigating corruption deals of 22 officials of the US government.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that in parallel information was spread in Georgia that ex-Minister of Defence David Kezerashvili moved to live to Israel. He is a Georgian Jew by nationality and has dual citizenship. This was told by military expert Giorgi Melitauri to the "Resonansi" newspaper.

According to his version, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia has always been the closest agency. And after Saakashvili became the head of the state, the Ministry grew even more closed. In 2000, the budget of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia made only 44 million laris (about 20 million US dollars, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent); even that sum was under-allotted because of budget sequestering. In 2008, the official budget made already 1.56 billion laris (about 900 million US dollars).

A military expert Kakha Katsitadze draw attention in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that, according to the Israeli legislation, citizens of Israel, despite their offences committed in other countries, are not deported to law enforcement bodies of other countries. According to this law, should Kazerashvili's involvement in corruption deals be proved, neither Georgian nor American justice will be able to arrest and convict him. It is a prerogative only of Israeli law enforcement bodies.