GREAT FINANCIAL SCAM, OR A WAR OF SECRET SERVICES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS?

Previously announced on the NLN agency website,  we revealed another high-profile crime committed in Georgia. A young Georgian programmer, Tamar Bachaliashvili, died under unknown circumstances, however, despite the almost official finding of suicide, common sense, logic, and some facts that suggest she was killed. As more details have become available, we reveal the bigger picture of the investigation.

We have previously reported that the analytical agency, Anticrisis Center for Security Problems (Georgia, Tbilisi), is conducting further investigation into this case. According to the head of the agency, security expert Mr. David Phurtskhvanidze:

“Our investigation showed that the story of Ms. Bachaliashvili’s death is not only related to her work with a group of companies under the leadership of US citizen Mr. Abraham Reikhbakh, as is commonly known, but also to the scope of these companies. ZAG Ltd, where Ms. Bachaliashvili worked, was registered in Georgia in 2015 (identification number in the State Register of Georgia – 405130914). Recently it became officially known (rather publicly) that this company, like 34 other companies of Mr. Reichbach’s, is registered with his direct participation, and active in many countries, for the direct purpose of creating pornographic sites (not porn films, but exclusively only funds for showing them) – according to leaked information from employees and company management.

However, the porn industry (or its facilitation) is just one area of ​​activity of Mr. Reichbach’s group of companies. The number of said companies registered and engaged in dubious businesses reaches almost 120, and those that are not registered or dummy companies, up to three hundred.

Many of its businesses work in the field of Big Data, the analysis of which gives analysts, researchers, and business users the ability to optimize and accelerate decision-making based on data, that in the past was not available or applicable. It uses text analytics, machine learning, predictive analytics, data mining, statistics, and natural language processing, and much more, including an alternative to a traditional methodology for database management and Business Intelligence solutions.

Based on the data of our experts in the field of internet technologies, we have concluded that large Western companies, as a rule, are looking for employees in the field of IT technologies to solve complex problems and write programs for countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, India, and Sweden. Georgia is not one of these countries, but undoubtedly there are talented programmers in Georgia and given the Georgian standard of living and its political ties with Russia and the United States, there is an excellent opportunity for espionage and the exchange of data. Many large organizations outsource specialists from countries where corruption is rampant with cheap labour. In this situation, Georgia has become a critical link in global cybersecurity issues.

In 2019, Tamar Bachaliashvili attained qualifications at specialized research centers in Paris – Université Paris 8 (a central training and research center in the humanities, developing tools for integration into society in the long term) and INSA Rennes (national Institute of Applied Sciences, member of the INSA Group, the first network of public engineering schools in France, specializing in two areas – information, communication sciences and technology, and materials, structures, and mechanics). It is important to note that these structures are under the patronage of the secret services, not only of France but also of some other EU countries.

In terms of her qualifications, T. Bachaliashvili became a PHP developer and creator of programs, applications, and websites, using a special PHP script for programming and was engaged in big data analytics and real-time transaction monitoring. This enables proactive recognition of abnormal circumstances and behaviors indicative of the potential for fraud to be applied. In simple terms, this technique makes it possible to control the movement of large amounts of financial resources, and even simpler – to forestall the theft (laundering) of big money, the purpose of which can be directed towards financing terrorist organizations as well as illegal arms trafficking. But, there is also a downside to the coin: realizing the potential of big data, coupled with predictive analytics and the comparison of historical and transactional data, helps organizations to predict and suppress fraud or make illegal transactions themselves.

So in this way, a young programmer saw a fraudulent scheme in action, reported this to the company’s management, and they, in turn, notified a high-ranking client. Then, covertly the girl was removed by this criminal network and eliminated as a dangerous witness.

This is not our last article on this topic. We are continuing our investigation and will shortly report further on the details of this case, detailing high-ranking politicians, state, and public figures who are involved, and not only from Georgia.

We thank our colleagues from the international expert community, as well as the members of the Georgian public, political figures, and organizations who have assisted in the investigation and given informational support. ”