The official of the National Bank of Georgia resigned due to the investigation of the illegal entrepreneurship case.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY FOREIGN AGENT LLC "MEMO", OR RELATES TO THE ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN AGENT LLC "MEMO".

A criminal case regarding illegal entrepreneurial activity is being investigated against a member of the Council of the National Bank of Georgia, Nana Keinishvili. She denies her guilt but has decided to resign from the council.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia announced the start of an investigation against Keinishvili on October 9.

The case was initiated under Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for liability for the illegal participation of an official in entrepreneurial activities. The reason was statements from the head of the cryptocurrency company BitXChange, who claimed that Keinishvili effectively controlled a network of companies under the supervision of the National Bank, shares in which were registered in the names of her family members and associates. Additionally, she attempted to acquire a stake in a company regulated by the National Bank to expand her own business, reported "Interpressnews" on October 18.

The head of the company reported that in 2024, Keinishvili met with him and proposed to create a joint company by transferring half of the shares to her son-in-law Alexander Toria, who at that time was a freelance lawyer for the National Bank. In total, the official promised investments of 800,000 lari, patronage, and assistance in eliminating competitors. The entrepreneurs rejected the offer.

In September, BitXChange was fined 571,000 lari for violating anti-money laundering laws. The company's management considered this fine to be revenge from Keinishvili.

Amid the investigation, the Council of the National Bank unanimously decided to suspend Keinishvili from participating in the preparation and adoption of decisions until the circumstances of the case are clarified. Keinishvili, for her part, stated that she disagrees with the accusations against her but does not want to harm the interests of the state and the reputation of the regulator. "I respect the institutional independence of the National Bank and its authority. Based on all of the above, in order not to harm the interests of the state and the reputation of the National Bank, I am resigning from my position as a council member," her message published on social media reads, according to "Georgia-online".

Earlier, "Caucasian Knot" reported that in 2023, the leader of the opposition party "Lelo" Mamuka Khazaradze, his deputy Badri Japaridze, and businessman Avtandil Tsereteli were accused in a case of laundering tens of millions of dollars in the "TVS Bank" founded by Khazaradze. The court requalified the case under the article on fraud and on January 12, 2022, sentenced all three defendants to 7 years in prison, but canceled the execution of the sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Because of this verdict, Badri Japaridze lost his deputy mandate.