Opposition Demands Chief Prosecutor’s Resignation
TBILISI - The parliamentary minority, Movement for Freedom-European Georgia, is demanding the resignation of Chief Prosecutor, Irakli Shotadze, over his statements about the church related scandal widely referred to as the Cyanide Case.
The party began collecting MPs' signatures after making their demand. At least 50 signatures are needed in order to take the issue to the Prosecutorial Council, which will make the decision concerning Shotadze’s early release. However, the minority will need some support from the majority PMs to gather enough signatures, since the ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), has a 115 MP majority in the 150-member legislative body.
Member of the European Georgia, Irakli Abesadze, says that Shotadze’s statements over the case were contradictory and caused societal turmoil.
Shotadze stated on February 13th that the Prosecutor’s Office arrested a cleric on suspicion of the intention to murder. Shotadze claimed the Head of the Property Management Department of the Patriarchate, father Giorgi Mamaladze, was plotting to poison a high-ranking clergyman. The prosecutor’s office later stated that according to some allegations the target of the murder was not a cleric.
Opposition party the United National movement (UNM) is joining European Georgia's initiative. However, they think that Shotadze is a nominal figure, and his resignation will not solve the problem. UNM member, Roman Gotsiridze believes the developments around the church are the result of “incompetence and mistakes” made by the Prosecutor, saying Shotadze’s statements misled the Prime Minister, the government, and the whole parliamentary majority.
“This is not only the Prosecutor’s fault. It is clear that the government interferes in the activities of the church, and the recent developments were planned for implementation of their interests,” he said.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia (POG) says the investigation is pursuing several leads, which cannot be publicly disclosed due to the interests of investigation and security of the people connected to the case.
“Due to the interests of investigation, Prosecution cannot specify the identity of the person or persons who were the target of the planned murder,” the statement by POG reads.
Moreover, the statement says that dozens of witnesses have been interrogated, investigative actions have been carried out, and some are still in progress.
Majority MP, Sopio Kiladze calls the minority's initiative "frivolous." She says the Prosecutor General never said that Partiarch was the target of the murder plot.
Archpriest Mamladze was arrested on February 10th at the Tbilisi Airport. The prosecutor’s office reported that police searched the priest and found the poisonous substance cyanide on his person. Tthe police also found an unregistered handmade firearm with six cartridges in the house of the detained.
Shotadze said the clergyman was detained with the cyanide en route to Berlin, where his holiness, Georgia’s Catholicos Patriarch was having a gall bladder operation. However, the prosecutor did not specify who the arrested priest was going to murder.
If Archpriest Mamaladze is proven guilty, he faces from 7 to 15 years imprisonment.
By Thea Morrison