On December 21 during the special session of the Georgian parliament, the parliamentary opposition led by the faction Democratic Front proposed creating a special investigative commission to look into recent incidents involving the handing over of property to the state voluntarily. The National Movement party announced that they are against such a commission.

The opposition parties stated that they know dozens of cases when property owners in Tbilisi were forced to hand over their properties to the government after demands from the General Prosecutor's Office.

"Legitimate doubts arise about government pressure when many restaurant owners located in the Rike area [left bank of the Mtkvari River] in downtown Tbilisi, hand their property over to the state for free, " Davit Berdzenishvili opposition MP from the Republican Party said.

Another case, which captured the attention of opposition and media recently, involved Jacob Shamatava who said on December 19 that prosecutors were pressuring him to give the government his 3000 sq m of land in Tbilisi near the US Embassy otherwise they threatened to arrest him.

Shamatava made this statement in a press conference with opposition politician Kakha Kukava from the Democratic Front party.

The next day he was arrested and accused of making fake documents stating he had ownership rights over the disputed plot of land. But Shamatava maintained that he rightfully owned the plot of land, which was previously given to him from his grandfather.

"This is not the only case of property being expropriated by the authorities. Shamatava was arrested just because he publicly spoke against the pressure applied to him by the General Prosecutor's office, " Kukava said at the parliamentary session on December 21.

"When the state tries to take its citizen's property illegally, it means that Saakashvili's group is supporting racketeering," said Kukava.

"Kukava is trying to make a name for himself in Georgian history with these kinds of accusations, but in vein, " stated Bidzina Bregadze member of the National Movement during the session.

The members of the National Movement party said investigations by law enforcement agencies have been launched into the cases of illegal claims to property.

MP Giga Bokeria of the ruling party said that there are cases when people obtained property rights illegally through the direct involvement of some of the mid and low-rank officials and officials are conducting investigations to uncover the offenses.

"No one should have an illusion that those who have illegally obtained property rights will be able to avoid legal persecution, " MP Giga Bokeria also said Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said that property rights should be protected.

Burjanadze announced, "if there are facts of illegal property ownership, the state should react appropriately. "

Despite the opposition's united front, the majority said a commission was unnecessary.

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