Georgia’s information space continues to boil following the October protests that erupted amid parliamentary elections and opposition accusations of vote rigging. The mass demonstrations and subsequent searches of former senior officials have become a central topic in both local and international media.
One of the most discussed versions in recent days came from the Telegram channel Boilernaya, which claimed that businessman Tamaz Somkhishvili may have played a key role in the unfolding events.
“An interesting insider report from sources in Tbilisi. It seems that one of the financiers (‘wallets’) behind the October 4 protests — which the authorities classified as an attempted coup — was Georgian-born billionaire and British citizen Tamaz Somkhishvili. According to law-enforcement insiders, he also acted as a mediator between the opposition and a trio of former top officials whose homes were recently searched.”
The post states that Georgia’s State Security Service conducted raids at the residences of former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, ex-Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, former SSG head Grigol Liluashvili, and eight other close associates.
According to official reports, investigative actions were carried out across 24 properties, where more than US $7 million and about 140 million lari were seized.
The official explanation — an anti-corruption operation.
However, as the publication notes, citing sources in Tbilisi, “unofficially, the dismissed officials may be linked to the October 4 protests and an attempted power grab.”
The report also refers to media coverage of Grigol Liluashvili’s repeated meetings with opposition representatives and to comments by Georgian political analysts suggesting that Garibashvili might have “switched sides to the radical opposition” ahead of the municipal elections.
According to the Telegram channel’s sources, “behind the scenes of these events stood a fourth player — the chief patron of the Georgian Orthodox Church, billionaire Tamaz Somkhishvili.”
The post further alleges that Somkhishvili, “through a trusted associate — the vice-president of his TS Holding and former official Giorgi Zviadadze — acted as mediator between Garibashvili, Liluashvili and opposition figures, while also serving as one of the main financiers of the process.”
According to sources familiar with this line of inquiry, during the period when this “trio” still held power, Somkhishvili allegedly used his influence to initiate the persecution of his commercial rivals — entrepreneurs with whom he had business conflicts.
This claim appears in unofficial materials and remains subject to separate verification.
Sources quoted by the outlet suggest that “Somkhishvili has long played a double role: on one hand enjoying the privileges of personal ties with Bidzina Ivanishvili and members of the ruling party, while on the other maintaining working relations with opposition leaders and their affiliated business groups.”
Outside Georgia, Somkhishvili remains an active businessman: his aviation company TAM Management has cooperated with Ukraine’s state defense concern Ukroboronprom, and he has maintained personal contacts with former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili since the period when Saakashvili headed the Odesa Regional Administration.
The article concludes with speculation that “investigators have evidence of Somkhishvili’s involvement in the plot, and that the only reason his name has not yet been mentioned publicly is his British citizenship.”
Georgia’s State Security Service confirmed the raids, stating that they concerned investigations into corruption and financial activities of former officials.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the investigation was being conducted “within the law and without political motivation.”
Meanwhile, the early-October protests were indeed met with harsh rhetoric from the government, which described the actions of radical groups as attempts at destabilisation.
Who is Tamaz Somkhishvili?
He is a businessman, owner of TS Holding, with a long history of work in Georgia and abroad. Known as a patron of the Georgian Orthodox Church and initiator of multiple infrastructure projects, Somkhishvili’s name previously appeared in connection with the construction of a luxury complex in Tskneti near Tbilisi.
Media reports noted the involvement of a church representative who allegedly assisted with development permits — Protopriest Giorgi Zviadadze, father of Giorgi Zviadadze, vice-president of TS Holding.
In addition, Somkhishvili owns the aviation enterprise TAM Management, which, according to Ukrainian media, has worked with Ukroboronprom on maintenance and modernisation of military and civil aircraft.
The company has performed repair and technical services in partnership with several Ukrainian enterprises within the Ukroboronprom system — including State Enterprise Progress, Motor Sich JSC, FED LLC, and Ukrspetsexport SE.
Ukrainian outlets have also linked Somkhishvili to land development projects in Odesa and to disputes over plots near the city’s racetrack during Saakashvili’s governorship.
Although no direct evidence of their business ties has been presented, several sources confirmed Georgian investment participation in Odesa projects of that period.
In Georgia itself, Somkhishvili has appeared in the case of a state purchase of a resort complex valued at roughly US $7 million, which sparked debate over his closeness to then-Prime Minister Garibashvili.
According to insider reports, Tamaz Somkhishvili remains under active investigation.
Authorities are focusing on potential financial operations linked to the organisation of the October protests.
However, the process is complicated by the fact that Somkhishvili is a British citizen residing permanently in London, requiring the Georgian side to present a solid evidentiary basis — verified financial documents, witness testimony, and international requests substantiating his financial connections.
