Khoni district Governor arrested and detained overnight

The Governor of Khoni, in the Samegrelo province, is being detained after being accused of illegally obtaining a substantial amount of wooden materials.

Last night Zurab Jibukia was accused of illegally obtaining 204 sqm of wood materials. The Prosecutor's Office have not made any statement regarding the case.

United National Movement (UNM) member Gia Tevdoradze alerted Georgian news agency correspondent Pirweli to the news.

"The Khoni local government was officially given 204 square meter wood materials in 2010 and there exists an acceptance act where it is written that those materials were given to the Khoni population,” Tevdoradze told the journalist.

He said the case was "absurd”, particularly since UNM still dominated the Khoni Government. He said this "rises a logical suspicion that the case is politically motivated”.

As well as Jibukhia, his deputy governor Besarion Chelidze also was questioned at the Prosecutor’s Office yesterday. He is also being in the pre-trial detention.