Court’s Decision is an Order from Ivanishvili, Says Lawyer
The court’s decision to sentence former President Mikheil Saakashvili to imprisonment and fine former head of the State Security Service Temur Janashia is not fair, according to lawyer Beka Basilaia.
Basilaia said that the decision was an execution of a command from Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party “Georgian Dream”. He believes that the court’s decision was made to keep Saakashvili in political captivity.
The prosecution had accused Saakashvili and Janashia of embezzling 9 million GEL from the state budget. However, Basilaia said that only a small part of the case was considered by the court, and many other expenses were not explained.
For example, he said that the expenses for renting armored cars for Saakashvili’s security were a security measure, and hosting foreign leaders such as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was also a official expense.
Basilaia added that delegations from neighboring countries of Georgia had visited during Saakashvili’s presidency, and their expenses were also incurred. He said that the court’s decision is an example of political persecution.
Regarding Temur Janashia, Basilaia said that prosecuting him for embezzling funds as the head of a militarized institution was legally incorrect. He pointed out that there was evidence presented in court that other officials had spent similar funds without being prosecuted.
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Saakashvili to imprisonment and fined Janashia 300,000 GEL. Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili announced the decision.
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