Draft:Campaign of Media Allegations

• Comment: Improperly sourced. ABG (Talk/Report any mistakes here) 13:53, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

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Campaign of Media Allegations Against Tamaz Somkhishvili

Since December 2022, a campaign to discredit Tamaz Somkhishvili has emerged in the Ukrainian media. Analysis has revealed that this campaign is organized in nature [1]. The information disseminated on Ukrainian websites as part of the campaign involves blatant manipulation of facts, names, and dates. There are instances of vague labeling and outright insults directed at the European businessman and British investor Tamaz Somkhishvili

The website "Zerkalo Nedeli" published a blog by someone named Ivanov [2], claiming that the company owned by Tamaz Somkhishvili is a contractor for the Russian Ministry of Defense and is involved in the repair of military aircraft. This information is false. Taras Dumich, a partner at the international law firm Wolf Theiss, conducted a legal investigation into the claims made in the Ukrainian media and submitted relevant information and requests to Ukrainian law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The conclusions of his investigation are clear: the assertions made in Ivanov's blog, which were copied without proper verification by other Ukrainian media regarding Tamaz Somkhishvili's involvement in the repair of Russian military equipment, did not occur and are fabricated [3].

Taras Dumich's investigation also revealed that Tamaz Somkhishvili had no connection, either as a shareholder or through transactions, with the Russian state-owned entity in question. Wolf Theiss shared the results of their investigation and provided the Ukrainian authorities with all the evidence they had collected. Taras Dumich and the law firm Wolf Theiss also submitted their report and the evidence contained therein to the UK government and the British Embassy in Ukraine, asserting that the allegations against Tamaz Somkhishvili are false. Ukrainian authorities responded in writing, stating that they found no evidence of criminal or illegal actions on the part of Tamaz Somkhishvili. Additionally, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, in response to a request from the prosecutor's office, provided its opinion that they had no data linking Tamaz Somkhishvili to alleged Russian state structures [4].

Furthermore, a European journalist, James Wilson, editor-in-chief of the EU Political Report magazine, conducted his own investigation. His conclusions are also clear: the materials in the Ukrainian media accusing Somkhishvili of cooperating with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are fabricated and are part of a targeted defamation campaign. These actions not only harm Tamaz Somkhishvili but also undermine the interests of Ukraine and its state authorities, which are attempting to attract foreign investors to the country [5].

Neither before the onset of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict nor at present has British citizen Tamaz Somkhishvili faced any claims from law enforcement or state authorities of European countries .[6]

According to journalists, lawyers, and European research centers [7]; [8]), who independently examined the chronology and content of the accusatory messages in this organized media attack, the most likely reason for the campaign's launch was a dispute between a British investor and representatives of the Kiev city administration. This dispute has been ongoing since 2007, when a company owned by Tamaz Somkhishvili won an open investment tender for the reconstruction of Kharkiv Square in Kiev . Despite fulfilling all obligations and paying the city over 14 million USD, the city administration unilaterally halted the project, refusing to return the investment [9]).

The Ukrainian company of the British investor Tamaz Somkhishvili first went to court and

won the dispute back in 2008 [10]. However, the corrupt individuals opposing him did not comply with the court's decision. In 2013, the city authorities expropriated the investment project. The legal battle has continued for years, including a new court case for damages that began in 2018. In 2021, the investor appealed to the leadership of Ukraine, requesting intervention to protect his rights [11].

During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court of Ukraine, the representative of the city authorities, despite the presence of payment documents regarding the investment in the court case materials, refused to confirm their receipt. This behavior raised suspicions that the received investments were simply misappropriated by officials [12]; [13].

As part of the campaign to discredit Tamaz Somkhishvili, Ukrainian media published a statement claiming that Somkhishvili holds eight Russian passports. This assertion is also false. Eastern Europe and the territory of the former Soviet Union have undergone significant geopolitical changes over the past 35 years, including changes in state structures. Consequently, the vast majority of citizens from the former Soviet Union who are over 45 years old have held at least two to three passports during their lifetime.

References

https://ukranews.com/ua/interview/2986-taras-dumych-proty-tamaza-somhishvili-zastosovuyetsya-kremlivskyj-metod-fejk-nyuz

https://eupoliticalreport.com/tamaz-somkhishvili-british-investor/

https://pravo.ua/minne-pole-dlia-investora/

https://ukrainianlawfirms.com/minefield-for-the-investor/

https://eupoliticalreport.com/seeking-justice-for-investors/

https://zaiwalla.co.uk/news/article-detail/zaiwalla-co-acting-for-british-citizen-and-investor-tamaz-somkhishvili-to-seek-redress-through-english-court-for-unlawful-actions-destabilising-court-proceedings-in-ukraine

https://forbes.ge/en/the-story-of-tamaz-somkhishvili-what-it-takes-to-become-a-self-made-businessman/

https://www.asmfc.com/le-philanthrope-georgien-tamaz-somkhishvili-a-salue-la-decision-du-president-zelensky-dimposer-des-sanctions-contre-ivanishvili-12865/

https://nv.ua/ukraine/events/skandalnaya-rekonstrukciya-harkovskoy-ploshchadi-v-kieve-otkrytoe-pismo-investora-k-zelenskogo-50183670.html