According to Transparency International Georgia, the current and former shareholders, as well as directors, of 8 licensed TIR PARKs located near customs checkpoints are representatives of “Georgian Dream” and individuals affiliated with them.

The NGO reports that, since 2014 to the present, these individuals have collectively donated 1,991,000 GEL to “Georgian Dream” and the ruling party’s supported presidential candidate, Salome Zourabichvili.

It is stated that in Georgia there are a total of 35 licensed TIR PARKs, located near 9 customs checkpoints: Sarpi, Kazbegi, Red Bridge, Sadakhlo (road), Lagodekhi, Guguti, Ninotsminda, Vale, and Kartsakhi.

At the Sarpi customs checkpoint in Batumi, the TIR PARK located at 2 Apsaros Highway is operated by LLC “Figoil,” 50% of whose shares are owned by Giorgi Chkonia, a member of the so-called illegitimate parliament and a major donor to “Georgian Dream.” Individuals connected to LLC “Figoil” have donated a total of 797,000 GEL to “Georgian Dream” and Salome Zourabichvili since 2014.

At the Red Bridge customs checkpoint, in the village of Lezhbadini in Marneuli Municipality, the former shareholders of the TIR PARK LLC “TIR Park Marneuli 2014” include Natia Khvistani, the wife of Viktor Japaridze (founder of “People’s Power” and the pro-government channel “POSTV,” and a member of parliament), and businessman Otar Chartolani, who is closely connected to their family. Both donated 208,000 GEL to “Georgian Dream” and Salome Zourabichvili during 2016–2018, when they held shares in the company.

At the Guguti (village of Patara Dmanisi) and Sadakhlo road customs checkpoints, the TIR PARKs LLC “Guguti Vertex” and LLC “Park Vertex” are owned and managed by businessmen close to Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and the sanctioned former Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri, the Abramishvili brothers, Giorgi and Roman. Since 2018, they have donated 774,000 GEL to “Georgian Dream” and Salome Zourabichvili.

At the Lagodekhi customs checkpoint, in the village of Matsimi, the TIR PARK operated by LLC “New Georgia” has a former 30% shareholder, Mindiya Sabanadze, a strong supporter of “Georgian Dream” and a businessman close to the ruling party, who donated 100,000 GEL to “Georgian Dream” in 2016–2017 while holding that share.

According to a 2014 government decision, in order to regulate queues at customs checkpoints and prevent delays, trucks—whether empty or loaded—are required, before arriving at the customs checkpoint, to be placed in designated parking areas near the state border. These are the so-called TIR PARKs, which are licensed by the Revenue Service and integrated into the electronic queue management system for vehicles.

The service fee for these TIR PARKs is 80 GEL per trailer. In return, no additional services are provided except queue management. If this fee is not paid, truck drivers are prohibited from moving toward the state border and subsequently from crossing it, which is continuously monitored by patrol police units on duty at the checkpoints.

This information was published by Transparency International Georgia.