The ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party received total of GEL 7.34 million in donations in a period from July 1 to September 13, 2017, according to the filings with the State Audit Office, which is in charge of political finance monitoring.

The Movement for Liberty – European Georgia party, which split from the United National Movement in January 2017, is the second largest recipient of donations with GEL 323,675.

The Alliance of Patriots raised GEL 15,600, followed by the NPC-Girchi with GEL 15,300; the National Democratic Party – GEL 12,204; the National Forum – GEL 9,215; the United National Movement – GEL 5,432; the Democratic Movement – United Georgia – GEL 900; the United Communist Party of Georgia – GEL 434; the Georgia for Peace – GEL 200 and the Republican Party – GEL 40.    

The State Audit Office said it requested further information from the Revenue Service about incomes of 225 individuals and 14 legal entities who donated to the political parties.

“We have summoned 14 natural persons with six having donated to the European Georgia and eight – to the Georgian Dream since we have questions about their incomes,” Nino Lomjaria, acting head of the State Audit Office, told reporters.

Georgia’s political party funding rules, which were eased in 2013, allow corporate donations.

A legal entity has the right to donate maximum of GEL 120,000 annually to a political party. Donation from an individual citizen is capped at GEL 60,000 annually.