Georgia will not extradite its citizen to United Arab Emirates
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, May 26
Georgia will not extradite its citizen, Gela Mikadze, now a lawmaker from the Alliance of Patriots, to the United Arab Emirates, since the man was found guilty and was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison in the Emirates.
“If requested by a foreign country, the Georgian side cannot extradite a citizen to a foreign country,” the Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated.
According to the 13th article of the Georgian Constitution, the handover of a Georgian citizen to a foreign country is banned, except for cases covered by international agreements.
“Georgia’s civil belonging represents the circumstance that serves as an obstacle to the extradition,” the Chief Prosecutor’s Office reported.
The case concerns the alleged misappropriation of $17.2 million.
According to Business Gulf, the Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court has sentenced the former CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), Khater Massaad, and two other former RAKIA executives, Gela Mikadze and Giorgi Janashia, to 15 years in jail over embezzlement charges.
Along with the imprisonment, Massaad, Gela Mikadze and Giorgi Janashia – who worked with RAKIA Georgia – were also fined $17.2m in absentia, according to the court ruling.
The court also ordered Gela Mikadze to repay $12.8m and Giorgi Janashia to repay $4.4m – the amount they were accused of embezzling – back to RAKIA.
Mikeladze dismissed the charge, and counter-accused the relevant bodies of the Emirates for not informing him that he was involved in a legal dispute.
