Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declined to comment on the investigation into the possible illegal involvement of National Bank Council member Nana Keinishvili in business activities, saying the relevant authorities would handle the matter.
“I cannot comment on this issue. It is strictly a matter for the investigation, and the relevant authorities will deal with it,” Kobakhidze told journalists.
What Is the Prosecutor’s Office Investigating?
Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office said the investigation was launched based on materials submitted by the National Bank. The case falls under Article 337 of the Criminal Code, which concerns the illegal involvement of a public official or an equivalent person in entrepreneurial activity.
The Prosecutor’s Office noted that Georgia’s Law on Combating Corruption prohibits public officials from engaging in entrepreneurial activity. Under the Organic Law on the National Bank of Georgia, members of the National Bank Council and their family members are also prohibited from holding ownership stakes in financial sector entities or related legal entities.
The National Bank said Keinishvili would temporarily be excluded from Council meetings during the investigation. It added that the circumstances surrounding the alleged illegal business involvement would be examined and that further information would be provided to the public.
The company mentioned in the case, Bitexchange LLC, provides cryptocurrency services. Founded in 2020, it is wholly owned by businessman Davit Orjonikidze.
Keinishvili has served on the National Bank Council since September 2023 under a seven-year mandate running until September 2030. From 2012 to 2016, she was a member of Georgia’s eighth Parliament, serving as deputy chair of the Finance and Budget Committee and the Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee. From 2001 to 2012, she headed the Georgian Red Cross Society, and from 2017 to 2023, she worked as a founder and director of various companies.
