Lelo movement member detained for verbally attacking ruling party MP in presence of latter’s children

Member of the Lelo Movement Vakhtang Robakidze, who previously was a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been detained for verbally attacking ruling party MP Anri Okhanashvili in the presence of the latter’s three, underage children in a restaurant in Bakuriani yesterday. 

The Interior Ministry said that Robakidze verbally attacked Okhanashvili, made threats to him and later disobeyed law enforcers. 

Robakidze, who has been sent to three-day detention earlier today, says that he called Okhanashvili "a traitor of the country and he [Okhanashvili] phoned police." 

I know him [Okhanashvili] for a long time. There was a verbal dispute between us and shortly I sat at my table. Okhanashvili called police," Robakidze said.  

Ruling party members have condemned the attack. 

The man insulted Okhanashvili at the presence of his two, four and six-year-old children which is untolerable and absolutely unacceptable. One of the children is in need of psychological assistance following the incident, as Anri has told me,” Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has stated. 

Khazaradze has confirmed that the detainee is a member of Lelo, adding that the individual was a member of the ruling party earlier. Photo: Lelo press office. 

Mdinaradze confirmed that in 2014 Robakidze was a member of the ruling party and had to leave the party ‘due to disagreement with other members of the party’ in Zestaponi region. 

 He did not have any dispute with Okhanashvili earlier.  It is likely he had some general irritation, was under the influence of alcohol and did what he did,” Mdinaradze said, adding that membership in Lelo also ‘encouraged the individual to consider himself someone important.’ 

The founder of Lelo movement Mamuka Khazaradze has confirmed Robakidze’s membership, stating that the man also was a member of the Georgian Dream between 2012 and 2017. 

Khazaradze stated that as of now he has no information what was the reason of the incident, condemning any aggression. 

Our lawyers will get involved and we will have all details at the end of the day. We do not know why the dispute took place between the former colleagues,” Khazaradze said.  

He stated that the information provided by Okhanashvili might not be trustworthy as the MP “ has cheated the whole of Georgia” (allegedly referring to the rejection of the ruling party proposed election bill in November 2019 when many of the ruling party MPs refused to vote for the bill).