TBILISI, Georgia — The lawyers of two protégés of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili say their clients have been charged with bribery, fraud and money laundering.
The development comes amid a broader
crackdown on Saakashvili allies by the government of Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili, which took power after October elections.
An
eccentric billionaire, Ivanishvili has pledged to investigate alleged
abuses by Saakashvili-appointed officials. Several others have also been
arrested and charged with crimes including abuse of office and
obtaining personal data through hacking.
The lawyers said Friday
that their clients were arrested earlier this week. They are Nika
Gvaramia, director of the privately owned Rustavi 2 broadcaster, and
former finance and energy minister Alexander Khetaguri.
