Tbilisi - The Georgian Prosecutor General's Office brought on Tuesday, Aug. 5 yet another charge regarding former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and former Georgian Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili.
This time they are accused of staging the assault on Georgian Deputy Valery Gelashvili in 2005.
According to the information, after in 2005 Gelashvili wrote an
article criticizing Saakashvili, the latter took away a piece of land
from him to build the presidential administration building on it, the
Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
In order to punish Gelashvili, Saakashvili also ordered former
Interior Minister Merabishvili to punish the deputy physically and the
parliamentarian was beaten severely on July 16, 2005 in central Tbilisi
by a special purpose unit. The deputy was brought to a hospital with
numerous fractions.
Back then investigative authorities did not investigate the assault
of Gelashvili, the statement said. A comprehensive investigation on this
case started in 2013 and was completed several years ago. Saakashvili
and Merabishvili are facing three to eight years in prison for this
offense.
It can not be ruled that the former president, who is also accused of
abuse of office, could be placed on the international wanted list,
Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani said.
On Aug. 2 the Tbilisi city court ruled to place Saakashvili and
former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili and former Defense Minister
David Kezerashvili in detention. They are accused under the case of
dispersing the opposition rally on November 2007, smashing the Imedi TV
company and seizing property from the TV company’s founder Badri
Patarkatsishvili.
Former Prime Minister, former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili and
former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava are named in this case as well.
