Georgia’s Ex-Deputy Interior Minister Charged with Abuse of Power

TBILISI- Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office (POG) has charged in absentia former deputy interior minister and current police chief of Ukraine’s Odessa region, Giorgi Lortkipanidze, with abuse of power while serving in the administration of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The Prosecutor’s Office said on September 22 that Lortkipanidze is accused of using excessive force to disperse a rally in central Tbilisi in May 2011.

The incident left two people dead and 250 injured.

The Prosecutor has also charged four former officials from the United National Movement (UNM) in connection with the case, including Constitutional Security Department (CSD) head David Akhalaia, his deputy Vasil Leluashvili, former Interior Minister Ivan Merabishvili, as well as the former head of the Tbilisi CSD Revaz Shiukashvili, and his associate Levan Kardava.

The accused were formally charged after the Prosecutor’s office released video footage of the rally on September 20. The vided showed CSD staff blocking the movements of protesters on Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom Square, and attacking them with rubber bullets and batons.

The Prosecutor’s office said Lortkipanidze would be tried in absentia if he fails to report to the court proceedings.

Lortkipanidze responded to the charges by saying he could not appear for questioning in Tbilisi because he was delivering a speech at a parliamentary committee meeting in Kyiv.

He claims that before seeking asylum in Ukraine, he had already been questioned by prosecutors in connection with the case.

“The steps made by POG against me are related to the upcoming October elections. Their sole aim is to prevent me from returning to Georgia,” Lortkipanidze wrote on Facebook.

Former President Saakashvili also commented on the issue, saying Lortkipanidze had nothing to do with the events in May 2011. Saakashvili believes that the recent video footage was released because the current government is afraid that he and Lortkipanidze will return to Georgia after the elections.

“IThey want to intimidate Lortkipanidze and not him back into Georgia,” Saakashvili said via a live video feed on Facebook.

The new video footage emerged only two weeks before the elections and caused speculation from local political pundits that the government is attempting to sway voters.

Deputy Prosecutor General, Mamuka Vasadze said the video had nothing to do with the elections and was obtained only recently.

“We received confirmation about the footage’s authenticity on September 16,” Vasadze told Imedi TV.

If found guilty, Lortkipanidze and the four other ex-officials could spend up to eight years in prison.

The rally on May 11, 2011, was a protest against the heavy-handed policies of the UNM. During the demonstration more than 800 people as a result of the protest.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller