Speaker: Secret NGO funding in Georgia is breeding ground for corruption

“There is nothing surprising about this; this is not the first scandal involving the European Commission. It seems that corruption has become a common occurrence. We have previously seen cases involving the EU Commissioner for Justice and even the European Parliament. The Belgian police now have substantial work ahead of them in this regard,” stated Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia.

According to Papuashvili, this current case illustrates that the internal structures of the European Union cannot ensure the absence of corruption within its own institutions.

“We have long expressed concerns about various issues, particularly regarding the secret financing of NGOs in Georgia. We believe this secrecy creates a breeding ground for corruption. There are valid reasons to suspect that covert foreign funding of NGOs is often intended to conceal corrupt practices. Funds tend to be distributed not based on genuine need or merit, but rather on patronage and favoritism. Many Georgian NGOs, especially those that do not belong to the wealthy elite—often referred to as “millionaire NGOs”—have consistently voiced their concerns. Organizations such as “Transparency” and “ISFED” are frequently mentioned in this context.

There is significant suspicion that corrupt schemes are behind the secret funding of NGOs in Georgia; funds are allocated not on the basis of actual need or merit, but rather through favoritism and potentially as a means to generate illegal income,” Papuashvili said.

On December 2, the EU’s former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, was detained by Belgian police as part of an anti-fraud investigation. Stefano Sannino, a top EU civil servant, was also taken into questioning on Tuesday.