Lawyer Says Testimony Against Ramishvili is “False”
Davit Korkotashvili, defense lawyer of Shalva Ramishvili, co-founder of the Tbilisi-based private 202 television station, who is currently facing extortion charges, told reporters on September 1, after visiting Ramishvili in prison, that the testimony given by Irma Stepnadze against Ramishvili ?is absurd and false?.
The name of Irma Stepnadze emerged in Ramishvili?s case on September 1 after the Interior Ministry issued a statement saying that an apartment where Ramishvili took money from MP Koba Bekauri is owned by Stepnadze.
According to the statement issued by the Georgian Interior Ministry on September 1, Stepnadze testified that Ramishvili even offered her USD 5,000, however she refused to take this money.
Currently, Irma Stepnadze heads the Public Relations Department at the Georgian Railway Company.
Shalva Ramishvili said at a pre-trial hearing on August 29 that testimony of a person to whom the apartment belonged (then Ramishvili refrained to unveil name of Stepnadze) could have a crucial importance.
Lawyer of Ramishvili also said that the investigation has no well-founded evidence to prove that Ramishvili was really blackmailing MP Koba Bekauri and will now use ?false? testimony of Stepnadze against Ramishvili.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)