Former Justice Minister on agenda
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, December 26
Charges concerning the case of the former Minister of Justice, Zurab Adeishvili, are close to being filed. A statement concerning the issue was made by the Chief Prosecutor, Archil Kbilashvili, on December 25. Kbilashvili also emphasized that the former Interior Minister, Vano Merabishvili will be questioned again and perhaps others as well.
According to Kbilashvili the former Justice Minister will be charged with crimes related to the recent prison incidents and the video footage recording acts of torture in Gladani's prison.
“Charges pertaining to Adeishvili’s conduct in the matter have almost been formalized. There are lots of victims from those incidents and all of them are being questioned,” Kbilashvili said.
Kbilashvili underscored that the video materials of the prison crime have been examined and they are genuine.
Former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili will be questioned concerning the falsification of documents and purported bribery. Former energy and finance minister, Alexander Khetaguri and current Director General of Rustavi 2 TV, Nika Gvaramia, were detained and then released on bail. Through the audio materials aired by the investigation Merabishvili is also identified.
“The individual is related with the case and he should be questioned,” Kbilashvili underscored.
The Chief Prosecutor also highlighted that “some other former ministers” will also be summoned to the prosecutor’s office without giving the name of the former official.
"We were contacted by one of the foreign embassies concerning one of the former ministers. The embassy has voiced the position of one of its citizens who was forced by the minister to purchase 10 Toyota cars. The embassy did not name the citizen however, but highlighted that it was a very difficult situation,” Kbilashvili suggested.
The parliamentary minority is certain that Adeishvili’s case as well as the recent multiple detentions of former officials is politically motivated.
Minority MP, Nugzar Tsiklauri stated that despite the serious pressure that is ongoing in the country against the United National Movement, Adeishvili and some other former official should return.
“The Georgian people are the supreme judges in Georgia,” Tsiklauri stated.
Political analyst, Soso Tsintsadze told The Messenger that Adeishvili will be back in the case his financial situation abroad is not desirable. Tsintsadze also believes that in the current unstable situation investigators may not have much evidence against him.
“It is not important how many crimes are committed by an individual, it is more important how much evidence there exists against him,” Tsintsadze stated and underscored that Adeishvili is a very clever lawyer and would not have left much evidence behind.
The analyst also underscored that it is not in President Saakashvili’s interest for Adeishvili to be back.
“Saakashvili needs new blood on his team, he should isolate himself from his former team if he wants to be back in politics in the future and build up a successful future career,” Tsintsadze stated.
“The new political force indicated that they would carry out investigations first and then arrest people. From now on the investigation will have to work harder than it did during the first days of the coalition’s coming to power,” Tsintsadze stated.
