On 24 September Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) filed a lawsuit in the Tbilisi City Court against the President’s administration. The organization is appealing the administration’s refusal to provide information about the scholarships that were awarded from the President’s reserve funds to students attending Master’s degree programmes abroad.

According to the Presidential decree made on March 26, 2013, the Presidential Reserve Fund would finance tuition fees and the additional expenses of those Georgian students selected through competition. The President of Georgia was to define the commission membership. The competition was announced on April 1.

After the competition for scholarships was concluded, there was a high level of doubt among the general public about the fairness of the selection process. Many believe that the Presidential scholarship was granted primarily to those applicants who were affiliated with the UNM party, for example MP Mariam Sajaia. It is rumoured that the other candidates' applications, which were accepted in some of the world’s leading universities, were in fact denied funding. In order to investigate this issue, TI Georgia addressed the President’s administration on June 3, requesting the following information:

1. The total sum allocated to the program from the President’s Reserve Fund;
2. The initial number of applications;
3. The names and positions of the members of the selection commission;
4. The names of the applicants who received scholarships, indicating the following information:

• The University and the program where students were accepted;
• The amount of received funding from the President’s Reserve Fund.

TI Georgia did not receive any response, despite the fact that on August 15 we again addressed the administration requesting this public information. In both cases the President’s administration violated the ten-day term prescribed by law for giving a response.

TI Georgia is using legal methods and is appealing to the Tbilisi City Court against the President’s administration. TI Georgia requires that the court order the President’s administration to provide public information.