The United National Movement (UNM), Georgia’s main opposition party has published an audio recording which according to its former Batumi mayoral candidate Giorgi Kirtadze contains evidence individuals acting upon instruction of the local Georgian Dream leadership bribing and pressuring the newly elected UNM Batumi City Council member Nugzar Putkaradze.
Putkaradze is heard refusing a 100,000 USD bribe offer in exchange of defecting to Georgian Dream.
Kirtadze claimed a close relative of Thornike Rijvadze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara was amongst those exerting the pressure.
Putkaradze soon died from heart failure. UNM leadership has claimed the death was triggered by the extraordinary stress of the pressure.
Georgian Dream is short of only one member in the newly-elected Batumi City Council.
Kirtadze claimed that the pressure orders came from PM Irakli Garibashvili and GD chair Irakli Kobakhidze who instructed Mr Rijvadze to achieve majority “at any cost.”
Mr. Rizhvadze did not deny authenticity of the recordings, though he insisted that his relatives were not part of the conversation.
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