Georgian-Israeli scandal

Last autumn two Israeli businessmen were arrested in Batumi. The trial continues.The head of Nirrnetco (Overseas) LTD company, Zeev Frenkel, and the honorary consul of Turkey in Eilat, Roni Fuchs, are accused of giving a bribe to the deputy minister for foreign affairs, Avtandil Haraidze. Frenkel and Fuchs are close friends of the president of Israel. The incident has strained relations between Georgia and Israel. The foreign minister of Israel sent a message to his Georgian colleague, demanding the immediate release of the businessmen. The Israeli authorities are sure that Georgian special services organized a provocation.

The story began 20 years ago. In 2011, Frenkel and Fuchs came to Tbilisi and signed a long-term contract on developing gas and oil resources and managing oil pipelines with the Georgian government. However, they failed to implement the contract, as in 1992 President Gamsakhurdia and his government were toppled.

The International Court of Arbitration ordered the current Georgian administration to compensate Frenkel and Fuchs $100 million for loss of profits. However, this decision is fairly dubious, as the businessmen didn't lose a cent in Georgia. As a result, the Israeli authorities accused Georgia of sabotage, as if they don't want to pay the compensation.

In fact, the Israeli businessmen tried to settle the problem through old Soviet methods of bribery. However, they didn't consider the fact that present-day Georgia is not the old Soviet republic. The deputy minister for foreign affairs told the special services about the bribe.

The businessmen are to be sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Georgy Kalatozishvili. Tbilisi. Exclusively for VK.