Georgian court finds Israeli businessmen guilty of bribery
Ron Fuchs and Zeev Frenkel convicted of trying to bribe Georgian deputy finance minister, sentenced to seven years in jail, ordered to pay hefty fines
Israeli businessmen Ron Fuchs and Zeev Frenkel, who were arrested by Georgian authorities in connection to a ministerial bribery scandal, have been found guilty by a Tbilisi court and sentenced to jail.
The two were arrested in Georgia in October, on suspicion of offering Georgian Deputy Finance Minister Avtandil Kharadze $7 million in bribes. The two were arrested during a meeting with the deputy minister.
Fuchs was sentenced to seven years in jail and a 500,000 Lari ($293,237) fine, while Frenkel was sentenced to six and a half years in jail and ordered to pay a 200,000 Lari ($117,295) fine.
The two maintained their innocence throughout the trial. Sources close to both businessmen, said they were the victims of an "elaborate sting" meant to help the Georgian government evade paying a debt owed to their company and dating back to 2004, over an oil pipelines development deal which was rescinded.
A close associate of Fuchs' told Ynet that the two's arrest "was staged, after they were invited to the minister's office… they were 'arrested' several times, to that the media would have authentic photos.
"They were set up. The Georgians gave the, official assurances that no harm would come to them if they returned to Georgia. They were set up very manipulatively. This is the work of a very specific type of regime," said the source.
Iris Frenkel, Zeev Frenkel's daughter, spoke with Ynet soon after learning of her father's sentence: "This is a very tough morning. We were both surprised and not so surprised. Things appeared problematic from the very beginning. We were hoping for a different outcome, but that is not the case."
The family, she added, was mostly suprised by the severity of the sentence: "We were shocked. The Georgians went all out. We didn’t expect such a harsh sentence. We have to exert pressure on them and see how we can have my father and his business partner released."
Still, she said. The family is currently consulting with lawyers and assessing their next move. The biggest concern right now, she said, "Is the conditions in which they are being held."
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