Georgia investigates swindling with aid to Abkhazian refugees

State Minister Zurab Zhvania demanded on January 21 that law enforcement bodies should speed up investigation into financial machinations with issuing allowances to refugees from the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic.

Interior Minister Georgy Baramidze told reporters that the ministry would "examine facts of embezzlement by officials from funds allocated to issue allowances to refugees and facts of dragging feet with issuing these funds." He reported that a head of a district branch of the Georgia Mail Bank was arrested in Tbilisi. He is suspected of committing embezzlement from funds to be issued as allowances.

Several cities were swept by protests of refugees over the past few days. Some 200 refugees sealed off the central thoroughfare near the State Television building in Tbilisi on January 20 and stated that they would burn down a branch of the Georgian Mail Bank if allowances were not issued. Around 500 refugees surrounded the administration building in Zugdidi where there was Georgian Minister for Refugees Eteri Astemirova. She was taken out of the building only with the assistance of commandos.

There are over 80,000 refugees from Abkhazia in Tbilisi and 70,000 ? in Zugdidi. All in all, 250,000 refugees from the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic (most of them are Georgians) live in various Georgian regions.