Former Mayor of Tbilisi to remain in prison
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Friday, February 20
Former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava will remain in prison. A decision over this issue was made by the court, which rejected the petition of Ugulava’s lawyers.
The defense side demanded Ugulava’s release on 20, 000 GEL bail. However, prosecutors stated that in the case of his release, Ugulava was a flight risk.
The Defense side claims that the judge made the solution based on keeping Ugulava in detention prior to the trial.
However, Prosecutor Merab Jerenashvili stressed that the defense side failed to ground its notion.
Ugulava’s Lawyer Otar Kakhidze stated that there was no chance the former Mayor will leave the county.
“Being accused of a crime before he was arrested, Ugulava left the country 13 times and every time he returned. They also stated that Ugulava could try to intimated witnesses, which is absolute nonsense,” stated Kakhidze.
Ugulava was arrested over a scheme through which he was receiving “dirty money” from an offshore company affiliated with former defense minister Davit Kezerashvili, who is on the wanted list. The investigation states that $760,000 USD was laundered in the scheme which then was used by Ugulava to fund the United National Movement party’s campaign.
