More charges against lawyer of ex-Gov’t officials

Georgian lawyer Goga Oniani, who represented high-ranking officials of Georgia's former government, faces new charges including exceeding official authority.

The Prosecutors’ Office have accused Oniani of additional charges of exceeding official authority, forgery in civil service, falsification of evidence in a serious crime, political persecution and deliberate illegal detention.

In February, Oniani was released on 20,000 GEL bail after being charged with abuse of power, falsifying evidence and intentional unlawful detention.

Before he was a lawyer, Oniani served as the head of Gldani-Nadzaladevi Police Division of Tbilisi.

The Prosecutors’ Office claimed on 17 October 2011, while working for the police, Oniani carried out persecution against a person who had a different political view.

"In the absence of any factual and legal grounds, he illegally detained Georgian Dream supporter Levan Mdinaradze (also known as Dj Rembo). At the time the Georgian Dream was the opposition.

"Upon the instruction of Oniani, the detainee was located in the administrative building of Gldani-Nadzaladevi Unit without conducting his search.”

The Prosecutors’ Office believed Oniani planted the drug marijuana on Mdinaradze in order to compile artificial evidence against him, with the intention of falsifying evidence, before the investigator in charge of the criminal case looked over the case.

Furthermore, Oniani is accused of commissioning the investigator to indicate in the case files that he seized a narcotic substance from Mdinaradze. However in reality, this did not happen.

The Prosecutor’s Office said after speaking with Levan Mdinradze, who was being illegally detained, Oniani pronounced he was punished because he distributed T-shirts which portrayed the Georgian Dream logo.

If Oniani is found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to eight years.