Georgian govt issues explanations on PM's affiliation with offshore company
TBILISI. April 5 (Interfax) - The Georgian government issued a press release on Friday to comment on a report in the Guardian indicating that Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili owns an offshore company.
"The Georgian government is aware of certain allegations with regard to past business ties between Mr. Ivanishvili and a company in the British Virgin Islands," the press release says.
"Georgian law requires the Prime Minister report all his assets and he has pledged to abide by this law to ensure maximum transparency," it said.
"For the reporting period of 2011-2012, as candidate and Prime Minister, Mr. Ivanishvili had no interest in the company to report in his declaration. The Prime Minister takes these reporting requirements seriously and has reported his holdings in full accordance with the law," it said.
The Guardian reported on Thursday that the Georgian prime minister "heads a list of fresh names that emerged on Thursday as owners of secret offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands."
"The latest cluster of names to emerge from the huge leak of BVI financial data include Bidzina Ivanishvili, the prime minister of the Caucasus nation since last year, and prominent figures in Pakistan, India, Thailand and Indonesia," it said.
The Guardian also suggested that the aggregate amount of money on offshore accounts around the world exceeds $20 trillion.
