On September 14, Otar Partskhaladze, one of the close allies of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, was subjected to sanctions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury. According to the State Department, Partskhaladze was singled out for his attempts to sway Georgian politics and society while working closely with the Russian Federal Security Service [FSB] agent. According to a press statement from the United States Department of State, FSB Officer [Aleksander] Onishchenko helped his friend Partskhaladze get a Russian passport and potentially Russian citizenship. Partskhaladze often visits Russia and has fully assumed a Russian persona. Onishchenko and the FSB have used Partskhaladze to sway Georgian politics and society in favor of Russia. 

On September 15, Partskhaladze claimed that the decision to suspend him was based on assumptions rather than facts. Partskhaladze said that the United National Movement, the oppositional party, was instigating the ten-year dirty campaign against him that resulted in the US censure. Partskhaladze said he left the public service ten years ago and has had no contact with government agencies since then.

On September 18, the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) said it froze assets and restricted transactions of Otar Partskhaladze, thus implementing the personal restrictive measures by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for individuals listed as sanctioned persons (SDN list). The bank reaffirmed its unwavering dedication to adhering to the established sanctions regimes. According to the NBG's official statement, as of February 26, 2022, Georgia's financial institutions adhere to the economic sanctions put in place by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom against the Russian Federation. 

After a day, the National Bank of Georgia issued a statement informing the public of the amendment to its regulation that the bank's president promulgated and published in the official gazette, and that would protect Otar Partskhaladze, who has been sanctioned by the US Treasury, from having his assets and transactions in Georgia targeted. This came after subsequent criticism of that decision by Irakli Kobakhidze, the ruling party's chairman. 

On September 20, Natela Turnava, the Acting President of the National Bank of Georgia, held a press conference on the NBG’s announcement to reverse the decision to freeze the assets and restrict the financial transactions of Otar Partskhaladze. "This amendment does not relate to any particular individual, as some interpretations have suggested; it solely pertains to Georgian citizens. The fact that this judgment shields a particular individual and averts sanctions is an attempt to politicize this decision, as the identity and last name of the sanctioned Georgian citizen are unimportant to us." Turnava further emphasized that a similar practice also exists in developed countries. The NBG's acting president asserted that the bank is a sovereign national institution whose primary duty is to carry out Georgia's Constitution. She said the bank respects and implements all international responsibilities and that starting in February 2022, it will automatically follow any penalties put in place against specific people by the US, EU, or UK. 

On the same day, Papuna Lezhava and Archil Mestvrishvili, NBG Vice Governors and Board Members, submitted their resignations following the National Bank's contentious decision to amend its regulations regarding the enforcement of international sanctions. "I cannot be a part of a decision that I neither have influence over nor agree with," Mestvrishvili said.

After that, the two largest commercial banks, TBC and Bank of Georgia, affirmed their commitment to adhere to the international sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "We comply and will continue to comply with US, EU, and UK sanctions requirements," the Bank of Georgia said. On its part, TBC Bank confirmed that it will not grant any exceptions for individuals under international sanctions imposed by the US, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, irrespective of the decision made by the National Bank.