Georgia’s ex-top defence official detained in Ukraine
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, November 3
Ukrainian law enforcers have detained Georgia’s former military police head Megis Kardava on the basis of the mediation of Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office, Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.
Kardava, who occupied the high post under the United National Movement leadership, has been on internationally wanted list since February 13, 2013.
“Extradition detention is applied towards Megis Kardava under the decision of Ukraine’s competent court and the issue of its extradition to Georgia will be resolved under the Ukrainian legislation,” Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office announced.
Kardava faces charges for different crimes and was sentenced to nine years in jail in absentia.
“Extraditing procedures envisaged by the law are underway towards the detained former high official,” the Prosecutor’s Office added.
Kardava’s family says they had no information about his whereabouts.
Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is also in Ukraine and is wanted by Georgia’s law enforcers, says he has never met Kardava.
Saakashvili wrote about this on his official Facebook page, responding to the Ukrainian media which named Kardava as Saakashvili’s “closest ally.”
In 2014 Kardava was sentenced to nine years imprisonment in absentia for various criminal charges including torture and abuse of power.
He was placed on Interpol's wanted list upon the request of the Georgian authorities.
According to Imedi TV, Kardava was trying to enter Ukraine from Romania with a false passport.
Interpol reads that Kardava has been charged with: the exceeding of official authority by a public official; the humiliation of a person, coercion and putting a person in an inhumane position; torture; liability of perpetrator and accomplice in torture; liability of perpetrator and accomplice in sexual abuse under violence; and illegal imprisonment.
