David Kezerashvili Minister of Defense of Georgia Date of Birth: 22.09.1978 Country: Georgia

1. Biography of David Kezerashvili
2. Early Career
3. Head of the Financial Police
4. Minister of Defense
5. Continued Leadership

Biography of David Kezerashvili

David Kezerashvili was born on September 22, 1978, in Tbilisi, Georgia. He attended the Faculty of International Law and International Relations at Tbilisi State University and graduated in 1999.

Early Career

In 2001, Kezerashvili started working at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia as a senior inspector in the main department of penitentiary reforms. He later became the head of the information-analytical service. During this time, Mikhail Saakashvili served as the Minister of Justice, who later became the President of Georgia in 2004. Kezerashvili worked as Saakashvili's assistant during his tenure as the head of the city parliament of Tbilisi from 2002 to 2003.

Head of the Financial Police

After the peaceful state revolution led by Saakashvili in 2003, Kezerashvili was appointed as the head of the financial police at the Ministry of Finance of Georgia. During his time in this position, he initiated several operations to combat tax evasion, often involving armed police officers wearing masks. Some observers in Tbilisi referred to these operations as "mask comedies." In March-April 2005, Kezerashvili became involved in a scandal related to drug trafficking. An audio recording was made public, allegedly featuring several high-ranking officials of the financial police, including Kezerashvili, planning to organize drug trading. Despite calls from opposition deputies to resign, Kezerashvili remained in his position.

Minister of Defense

On June 23, 2006, Kezerashvili announced during a press conference in Tbilisi that the investigative department of the financial police had uncovered a scheme of fraudulent activities that had been operating since 2004, resulting in approximately $55 million of tax evasion. On November 10, 2006, Kezerashvili replaced Irakli Okruashvili as the Minister of Defense, who then became the Minister of Economic Development of Georgia. Some Russian experts linked Okruashvili's departure to his radical approach to various issues, including the status of the unrecognized republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. However, Kezerashvili, in his first interview as the Minister of Defense, stated that resolving territorial issues remained the main task and warned against illusions from those hostile to Georgia.

Continued Leadership

On January 24, 2008, acting Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze presented the new composition of the government, in which Kezerashvili retained his position as the Minister of Defense, despite demands for his resignation from the opposition. Kezerashvili is married and has a child. In addition to Georgian, he speaks English, Russian, Italian, and Hebrew.