The Georgian Bank of Georgia reported that the closure of customer accounts is not related to their citizenship. The bank issued a statement saying that the decision to block the account is taken in connection with unusual or risky behavior of customers.
The bank gave examples when bank customers use an account for transit purposes or simply do not use it. Also, as stated in the statement, when deciding to close an account, parameters such as the classification of countries with a high level of risk and associated risks are taken into account. About what risks there is a speech, in the message it is not specified.
The bank also added that, according to the Law on the Activities of Commercial Banks, the bank may stop serving a client or close his account without explaining the reasons.
Last week, the Bank of Georgia began sending SMS messages to customers informing them that their account would be closed in five days. More than a hundred people received such messages. Almost all who received the notification are citizens of the Russian Federation. An official representative of the Bank of Georgia confirmed the closure of accounts, but did not specify the reason. The bank's clients tried to find it out in the support service, but they were told that this decision was connected with the internal policy of the bank.
Bank of Georgia is the largest bank in Georgia. Shortly after the start of the war, another major Georgian bank, TBC, refused to serve Russians and open accounts for emigrants. Bank of Georgia freely accepted Russians for some time, but then began to require income statements and statements of rejection of the war in Ukraine, recognition of the territorial integrity of Georgia and condemnation of the policies of Vladimir Putin.
