Giorgi Bachoshvili: "This is a process where Ivanishvili is directly the plaintiff, the prosecutor, and the judge. Over the past two years, the prosecutor's office has failed to present any evidence that would prove or support the fabrications and lies being spread by Ivanishvili. Without Ivanishvili's total political power and influence over the prosecutor's office and the judiciary, this case wouldn't even be under consideration.

Today, Ivanishvili's personal trial begins. This is a process where Ivanishvili is directly the plaintiff, the prosecutor, and the judge. It's probably a unique trial, where the plaintiff is a person sanctioned for the reversal of democracy in the country, the prosecutor is sanctioned for human rights violations, and the heads of the judiciary are sanctioned for corruption. This is the epitome of how a legal system should not operate.

As for the case, in the last two years, the prosecutor’s office has not presented a single piece of evidence, no direct evidence, that would in any way support or validate the fabrications and lies that Ivanishvili is spreading. If it weren't for Ivanishvili's complete political power and influence over the prosecutor's office and the judiciary, this case wouldn't even be considered.

Ivanishvili had an hysterical fear of appearing and did everything he could to avoid showing up in Singapore's courts, inventing all kinds of reasons, including medical certificates, so he wouldn't have to appear. I’m sure he will behave the same way here; he won’t come or will join remotely and invent something to avoid appearing. The judge will do whatever he is ordered to do.

It has become clear that the prosecutor’s office is only interested in hunting for his personal assets.

When it was revealed that there was no evidence in the case, I didn’t know what it was about at first. It was a fabrication, and I didn’t assist the prosecutor’s office or Ivanishvili in pursuing his personal assets.

Also, I have funds and assets in many banks, including in Julius Baer.

This is no secret. Neither I nor the Swiss government will become a tool in Ivanishvili's hands. It will not be a weapon for revenge.

I fund the foundations that have been forced to lay off staff due to the current events.

I won’t name the foundations I fund. I fund those that help affected people, those who have been dismissed from their jobs. I won’t name them because there is pressure from the state in every direction. I don’t want my help to become a reason for pressure on someone.

The trial of Giorgi Bachoshvili, former head of the Co-Investment Fund, who is accused of cryptocurrency embezzlement involving Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream party, is taking place in Tbilisi City Court. The substantive discussion of Bachoshvili’s case begins today. The accused, Giorgi Bachoshvili, is present at the court session. When asked by the judge if he pleads guilty, Bachoshvili answered negatively.

The charge against Bachoshvili relates to actions that took place in 2017. According to the prosecutor’s office, Bachoshvili gave the investor only $536,900 in exchange for the full profit from the invested capital, while he unlawfully appropriated the remaining 8,253.13 bitcoins, which had a value of $39,215,820 during the period of his illegal possession."