Prosecutor’s Office Solves Patarkatsishvili’s Murder Plot

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia (POG) stated they have solved the case of late Georgian businessman and billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili's murder. The man was found dead on February 2008 in his mansion in the UK.

The POG stated at aspecial briefing that the former Head of the first service of the second division of the Tbilisi Main Division of the Constitutional Security Department, G.M., has been detained, while L.K., former deputy head of the second division, and R.Sh, head of the second service of the same division, were charged for plotting the murder.

As reported by the agency, the investigation obtained two recordings made on 4 and 5 February 2007 with the speakers plotting Patarkatsishvili’s murder.

According to the POG, in the 4 February recording, G.D., high official of the Constitutional Security Department, talks to a guard of Badri Patarkatsishvili and tries to bribe him. G.D. also confirms that the murder had been sanctioned by the former President Mikheil Saakashvili, since Patarkatsishvili was his opponent and enemy.

The second recording reflects a conversation between G.D., his employees and currently convicted L.K., R.Sh. and G.M., the topic of which is the preparation of Patarkatsishvili’s murder. They consider various methods of murder, including poisoning. According to the recording, all issues had been agreed with the then Head of the Constitutional Security Department, Data Akhalaia, who is wanted at present for various crimes.

The POG stated that the recordings were obtained in 2016. Prosecutor Koka Katsitadze said at the briefing that the recordings were seized during the search of one of the defendants’ house.

He underlined that the case concerns the plotting of the murder and not the actual murder.

Giorgi Merebashvili, one of those accused of plotting the murder of the businessman, claims he does not know any person who testified against him. Merebashvili made the statement at a trial on October 17.

Badri Patarkatsishvili was a Georgian businessman who also became extensively involved in politics. He contested the 2008 Georgian presidential election and came third with 7.1% of the votes. He aso was also one of the country's largest philanthropists.

By Thea Morrison