TBILISI, August 5 – Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday evening sharply criticized the landlord of German Ambassador Peter Fischer over tax irregularities—fueling ongoing political controversy involving the high-profile diplomat.
The comments marked another escalation in the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s public campaign against Ambassador Fischer, whom senior officials accuse of sympathizing with opposition groups calling for regime change.
Over the weekend, opposition leader Mamuka Khazaradze, who is currently imprisoned, confirmed that a recent report by Rustavi 2 about Fischer residing in a property owned by Khazaradze’s wife was accurate. He also admitted that tax irregularities had occurred in the lease arrangement, citing a misunderstanding over “source-based taxation.” He stated the issue has since been resolved.
Papuashvili seized on the admission, suggesting Khazaradze appeared to shift blame toward Ambassador Fischer. “Khazaradze wants us to believe that he thought someone else was supposed to pay his income tax?” he wrote on social media, calling it “a separate misfortune” and part of a broader pattern of evasion.
Rustavi 2 first reported on August 1 that Ambassador Fischer was renting the apartment under a formal agreement. Georgia’s Revenue Service has launched an investigation, while ruling party figures argue the arrangement may violate diplomatic norms.
As of today, Ambassador Fischer has made no public comment on the matter.
