The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance conducted searches this morning at the residences of Atlantic Council employees Sophie Gelava and Eto Buziashvili. Both research Russian disinformation in Georgia. According to their lawyer, the investigation is examining financial documentation of an intermediary company that provided HR services to Gelava and Buziashvili.
“This is the contractor company ‘Eurofast.’ However, I don’t know what questions the investigation has with them. They’ve taken my phone and work laptop,” Gelava told us. She is to be questioned as a witness in the case.
Investigators seized laptops and all technical equipment from both apartments. According to the lawyer, the court order mentions the European company “Eurofast,” which acts as an intermediary between the Atlantic Council and its Georgian employees. The investigation is proceeding under charges of tax evasion, illegal income, and fraud.
“Eurofast provides HR services, employees communicate with the HR company to complete work on time, etc. Eto Buziashvili hadn’t even signed a contract yet,” lawyer Shota Tutberidze told us.
The lawyer doesn’t rule out that the search of international organization employees’ homes two days before the elections might be connected to their work. Both researchers had been recently studying Russian disinformation in Georgia, and one day before the search, the organization published a report based on their research. The report states that Russia is directly and indirectly interfering in the upcoming elections.
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“When such a special operation occurs at the home of a politician and Western organization employee two days before elections, it’s clearly an attempt to demonstrate power. The government is trying to show its strength to opponents and supporters. Moreover, this could be part of a larger plan aimed at damaging Western institutions and further distancing Georgia from Europe,” the lawyer added.
Speaking to Maisi.News, Sophie Gelava’s husband, Federalist Party member Giorgi Noniashvili, says searches were also conducted at the homes of people connected to the contractor company his wife worked with.
“They came at eight in the morning, without any warning, saying they needed to conduct a search. They’ve taken my, my wife’s, and my underage child’s devices. According to the court order, searches are being conducted in the homes of all persons connected to this contractor company. The Atlantic Council has two employees here, Sophie and Eto, who research Russian disinformation. Sophie has been working at this company for 3 years. The investigation concerns financial transactions, as stated by the investigators,” says Noniashvili.
Today, the financial police also conducted a search at the brokerage company Concentrix, located in the Vake Plaza building. When Maisi.News contacted the Ministry of Finance’s press center about possible connections between these two companies, they provided no specifics.
At day’s end, the agency released an official statement saying that investigative actions were conducted in three alleged “call centers” and searches were carried out based on a judge’s order. Regarding the search of Atlantic Council members’ homes, the agency makes no comment.
Salome Gogokhia
