New charge against ex Minister of Defense

The General Prosecutor of Georgia brought new charge against the ex-Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia.

The new charge is linked to ex-ministers alleged role in providing "privileged conditions in jail to four former interior ministry officers, who were convicted in the notorious murder case of Sandro Girgvliani.

28-year-old Sandro Girgvliani was killed in 2006. He was found tortured in a forest near Tbilisi.

According to the General Prosecution statement, Bacho Akhalaia made four prisoners sentence simple and gave them some advantages. Bacho Akhalaia was head of the Peniteniiary Department at that time.

Prosecution claims that it might be a part of the agreement in exchange to keep silence over actual details about Girgvlianis murder. This is possibly because Bacho Akhalaias brother, Data Akhalaia was also suspected in connection with this case. At that time, the latter served as head of the Department for Constitutional Security.

Ex-minister denies the allegations, according to the Prosecution.

Bacho Akhalaia was arrested on November 6, 2012. This is the fifth criminal proceeding against the ex-defense minister, who began his career as the deputy Public Defender. In one of them he was found not guilty.

One of the verdicts into Akhalaias trials will be announced on October 28.