Special Investigation Service Closes Misha Mshvildadze’s Case
On September 12, the Special Investigation Service of Georgia announced the closure of the case involving Misha Mshvildadze, the co-founder of the TV channel “Formula.” According to Mshvildadze’s attorney, the Investigation Service concluded the case without yielding any results, failing to provide the victim with crucial footage and neglecting evidence uncovered by Formula TV during their journalistic investigation.
According to the statement of the Special Investigation Service, as a result of the investigation, one person – N.G. – was arrested on June 28 as a preventive measure under the first part of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (violence) and his case was submitted to the court for consideration. The statement emphasizes that during the investigation, with the active participation of the victim, all possible avenues of the investigation were thoroughly explored. To this end, a number of investigative and procedural measures were taken in the case.
The Service notes that these measures included the inspection of the accident site and its surroundings, during which the records of 23 private properties and numerous public institutions were identified and subsequently requested by the court. In addition, a habitoscopic examination was carried out at the “Levan Samkharauli National Bureau of Forensic Examination” in order to improve the quality of individual video frames.
The Service also interviewed 21 people. During the search of a residential property, mobile phones belonging to four individuals linked to the case were swiftly confiscated. Both classified and unclassified documents and materials, containing vital information pertinent to the case, were requested from public agencies. However, this endeavor did not lead to the establishment of guilt for any additional individuals, says the Service.
The Service statement says that it consistently ensured the involvement of both the victim and the attorney throughout the investigative process. They were briefed on all materials and documents related to the criminal case on seven separate occasions.
Notably, Journalists at “Formula TV” conducted an investigation following the attack and obtained video evidence pertaining to the assault, revealing the presence of special services personnel at the scene and their potential involvement in the physical attack. The State Security Service confirmed that Giorgi Mumladze, who appeared in the video of the assault on Mshvildadze, is one of their employees.
The attack on Misha Mshvildadze, one of the founders of the “Formula” television company, occurred on 27 June, when an unknown person punched him in the face. According to Mshvildadze himself, “state structures may have been involved in the planning and organization of the violence, in particular, one of the participants of the attack may be an investigator of the State Security Service”.
Also Read:
- 14/08/2023 – Human Rights Center: Media Activities Linked to Health-Threatening Conditions
- 28/06/2023 – Ruling Party Condones Violent Assaults on Critics
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