PM Garibashvili on controversial criminal cases, prosecution, and court

Very important updates emerged in Zurab Zhvanias case, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili said while giving an interview the host of the Rustavi 2 TV show Pozitsia (Position) yesterday.

He said lots of speculations have been made around the case and many logical questions asked regarding it. However, according to him, the United National Movement was very inadequate regarding arrest of the former head of Zhvanias security service, KobaKharshiladze.

Zurab Zhvania was found dead under suspicious circumstances on February 3, 2005. He was an ally of former President Mikheil Saakashvili from the very beginning of the Rose Revolution. The arrested Koba Kharshiladze however, was one of the persons who first saw the late PMs corpse after his death.

"I said that this person was arrested regarding another case and it was unclear why they were worrying that much. This has to be found out and in general, the investigation around the Zhvanias case will be reviewed. I have serious information but I have not a right to disclose this in the interests of the investigation. Only thing I can say, these are very important information and I want to ensure the UNM that everything will be found out", - Garibashvili stated.

He also spoke about the criminal cases of former PM Vano Merabishvili and suspended Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava.

He said those assessment made by the opponents are a clear pressure on the court and prosecution.

"The assessments I have heard have been a clear pressure on the judge who made the decision about suspension of Ugulava while one of our major promises was to make the court really free from pressure. We know how the judges were making decisions through pressure in the past and we have ended this practice. No pressure on the court exists anymore, Garibashvili said in response to the question why no one asks how can the court be absolutely free when it is lead by the brother of one of the parliamentary minority MPs, Pavle Kublashvili.

"They often say I am characterized with nepotism and refer to the head of the General Inspection, ZviadJankarashvili. However, they forget that Pavle Kublashvili is a brother of Kote Kublashvili. The civil society, neither of the opposition parties have ever mentioned the fact that the Court head is a relative of one of the major representatives of UNM and never demanded the court to be absolutely independent, Garibashvili added.

According to him, talks that the ruling party wants to get rid of Ugulava are just ridiculous.

"This is a very irrational statement when we are talking about the people who are charged for embezzlement of 50 million GEL which belonged to the Tbilisi population and moreover, they have used the amount for their own good. After all of this, how one can have an ambition, if he still has a rational thinking ability preserved, to continue on putting forward his candidacy for Tbilisi Mayor. This is his right, of course, but when they say we got rid of Gigi because we were afraid him not to be re-elected, this is ridiculous, Garibashvili said.

As for Merabishvili, the PM says his scandalous statement is not logical.

"I will ask a logical question in order to give a possibility for the society to understand. Lets say the statement made by Merabishvili is truthful. Then, if he left the cell on Saturday, then why did we only discover this only on Tuesday? If one would be correct, he would immediately start publishing the story", - Garibashvili said.

According to him, the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance has already started an internal investigation and the facts will be revealed after the process will be finished.

The PM has also answered the anchors questions about the Chief Prosecutor and his past convictions. He said the controversy regarding this issue is excised and it is the UNM who stays behind the allegations which are aimed at discrediting the Chief Prosecutor OtarPartskhaladze.

"The process has started ten days ago when Merabishvili made a provocation and at the same time a ridiculous statement. Partskhaladze is a problem for them since he managed to start processes in many cases and is effective. I am sure this has been well planned and organized, very purposeful, result oriented provocation. On the second day, they demanded to suspend the Prosecutor and remove the Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance. If the government would have a reaction on these irrational statements, this would be a very bad precedent and this has been the purpose of the UNM also, Garibashvili said.

He also mentioned that he never hid that Partskhaladze was convicted in the past.

"As soon as the facts became publicly known, Partkhaladze made a statement and explained that 14-15 years ago he had an incident with the police and confirmed that he was convicted. He was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months, however, he was released after a few months. Logically, if a person is arrested for armed robbery he will not be released in a few months period, he said adding if a person has had an incident in their younger ages they should not be deprived of perspective and development.