Last week the State Audit Office, pursuant to the legislative requirements, published a list of donors of electoral subjects. Donations made on October 2-3 in favor of Salome Zurabishvili, a ruling party-supported independent presidential candidate, by the doctors of Chachava and Ghudushauri medical clinics raised public and media attention (link [1], link [2]).

According to the media reportages, in two days the employees of the mentioned medical clinics jointly donated over GEL 100 000 to Salome Zurabishvili. These reportages also tell a story how some doctors were summoned by the clinics’ administration and asked to contribute to Zurabishvili. The money was supposed to be allocated by the clinics and they were only asked to technically participate in this process by providing formal consent. According to the reportages, the doctors were asked to sign some documents and be assured that their personal information would not be publicized; the clinic would technically ensure a transfer money to Salome Zurabishvili’s bank account.

We believe that the State Audit Office should study the mentioned circumstances as we might have a case of third-party donation, which is prohibited by the Georgian legislation. A penalty of the double amount of illegal donation is envisaged for such an action.

We call on the State Audit Office to study the mentioned case and make relevant decisions.