Sanctioned Iranian oil in Batumi –international corruption scheme of Gharibashvili’s circle

For a long time, there have been talks in the West that Georgia is being used to smuggle Iranian oil and launder black money. A year ago, U.S. senators also expressed this concern in a letter and openly stated that the port of Batumi was being used for illegal operations. A ship carrying sanctioned Iranian oil was loaded in Oman and delivered to Batumi. Had it not been for the intervention of the U.S. State Department, perhaps the scheme would have worked out.

The Panamanian-flagged ship Arina lifted its hull off the coast of Oman on January 16, 2021. According to official documents, the ship with a cargo of over 56,000 tons of crude oil from the Kingdom of Arabia sailed to Batumi. "Arina" entered Georgian territorial waters in early February, but failed to reach its destination.The ship sailing under Panama’s flag was sent back.

“Saturday Mtavari” found out the reason. A trustworthy source spoke, that the ship was turned back after American special forces and Embassy  intervened. The reason was the cargo, which the ship coming from Oman to Batumi was bringing.

After Ucha Mamacashvili and the former Chief Prosecutor, Otar Parckhaladze had a falling out with Gharibashvili, the Chkhenkeli brothers appeared on the stage. Today, Prime Minister Garibashvili handed them the key to the Georgian Dream's black box office and control over the business. A ship carrying Iranian-sanctioned fuel was on its way to the port of Batumi, which belongs to the Chhenkeli people..

After a ship loaded with Iranian oil was not allowed to enter Batumi, it made its way to Romania and has been standing there since February. The source tells us that Romania was not chosen by chance. There is a Rompetrol processing plant there. Giorgi Ayozba, the new director of Rompetrol, is also close to the Chkhenkeli brothers, according to the source. It is also a fact that Rompetrol uses the port of Batumi exclusively to import its products.