In the wake of high-profile arrests of several former officials, Georgian chief prosecutor announced on January 18, that the relatives of former President Shevardnadze will have to undergo interrogation in connection with the alleged illegal transactions.
“We suspect that Guram Akhvlediani [Eduard Shevardnadze’s daughter-in-law’s father] was involved in the illegal transactions in connection with port of Poti. I think he will be interrogated,” newly appointed General Prosecutor Irakli Okruashvili said.
In early January President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili, who vowed to carry out “drastic anticorruption measures”, said that he intends to target Shevardnadze’s family in his anticorruption drive.
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has already formally asked Switzerland and other European states to freeze the bank accounts of several officials close to former President.
The Georgian law enforcers have already arrested two former officials accused of misappropriation of state funds.
The Georgian law enforcers arrested on January 17 former Energy Minister Davit Mirtskhulava, who was undergoing the medical treatment in one of the hospitals in Tbilisi. He is accused of misappropriating $6 million, while serving as a minister.
On January 16 the police arrested ex-chief of the state-owned Georgian Railway Company Akaki Chkhaidze in a surprise operation carried out in the Adjarian capital Batumi. The operation was held without advanced notification of the local authorities of the Autonomous Republic that caused further irritation of the Adjarian leadership.
Georgian President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili, who has vowed to crack down on corrupted officials, said on January 16 that he would “reach out each criminal and corrupted official everywhere, including in Adjara.”
Both Chkhaidze and Mirtskhulava were regarded to be “untouchable” persons close to Shevardnadze during the previous authorities.
Levan Mamaladze, who was an influential governor of Kvemo Kartli region during the Shevardnadze’s presidency, is also accused of misappropriating of state funds. He is wanted by the Georgian law enforcers. He left Georgia right after Shevardnadze’s resignation last November and is allegedly in Russia.
The former officials deny accusations and claim that arrests are politically motivated. “It is a political repression by the new leadership of the country. I will appeal to the international organizations and also will try to seek a political asylum in one of the countries,” Levan Mamaladze told Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television in the phone conversation.
“It is all because of the politics. I am not guilty and I will prove this in the court,” Akaki Chkhaidze told reporters after he was brought by the police in Tbilisi.
Earlier President of the Georgian Football Association Merab Zhordania was also arrested. But he paid to the budget 750,000 Lari, which allegedly he misappropriated. He was expected to be released, however he still remains under the pre-trial detentions as the law enforcers claim Zhordania embezzled more funds from the budget.
Last December Georgia has formally asked Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg and some other European countries to freeze bank accounts of Levan Mamaladze, Davit Mirtskhulava and Merab Zhordania, Georgian Prosecutor’s Office official told Civil Georgia.
“We have requested these countries to provide Georgian law enforcers with the information about the amount of many these three persons [Mamaladze, Davit Mirtskhulava and Merab Zhordania] keep in the banks,” Paata Mskhiladze, who is in charge of foreign relations issues at the Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office, told Civil Georgia.
However, the Swiss Justice Ministry requested Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office for more details, as the request, sent in December, was too general and lacked sufficient information. Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli told Swiss daily Le Temps on January 9 that the list included former ministers suspected of fraud. But it did not include Eduard Shevardnadze or any of his family members.
Paata Mskhiladze of the Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office said that the investigation would definitely reveal additional information, which will be immediately sent to the Swiss Justice Ministry.
“I think that this issue [freezing of the bank accounts] will be a long process. At first the investigation should be over, than there should be permission of the court to freeze accounts. And the last stage is return of these funds to Georgia. If we won’t provide the foreign banks with the strong evidence we will fail to return these funds. This process won’t be over in just couple of months,” Paata Mskhiladze said.
Akaki Gogichaishvili and his team from the investigative television program “60 Minutes,” broadcasted by the Rustavi 2 TV channel, has reported during the recent years numerous cases of corruption and misuse of power by the officials. However, many of the cases of alleged wrongdoings uncovered by the program have gone unpunished.
“Recently the law enforcers requested us to give them all the programs of “60 Minutes.” I hope they will at last react on the wrongdoings by the officials that we have revealed by us,” Akaki Gogichaishvili says.
However, some commentators say that the prosecution of former officials is not enough to fight corruption.
“Arrest of former officials does not mean that the situation will be improved. By arresting ex-Energy Minister power supply will not be better, as well as arrest of Chkhaidze does not mean that the Railway Company will develop. The society is of course pleased with the arrests of the notorious former officials, but at the same time civil society should remain extremely watchful towards the new leadership in order to prevent the same mistakes, which took place during the previous authorities,” Ia Antadze of Radio Liberty says.
