Police investigating spillage of noxious substance in parliament, ruling party points at opposition

The Georgian Interior Ministry is investigating who spilled a noxious substance in parliament early yesterday, leading to a pause in the parliamentary session ahead of a major vote and the need to summon ambulances for several MPs. 

Ruling party MPs, including  former Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, have pointed at the MPs of the European Georgia opposition party Lela Keburia and Irma Nadirashvili, ‘who despite boycotting the session, appeared in the session hall for several minutes, hiding something under clothes [Keburia wore a mantle].” 

The smell, which made several MPs feel ill, appeared as soon as they left the session hall,” Kobakhidze said. 

Nadirashvili has stated that she is not taking responsibility for the incident. However, she said “that the smell perfectly reflected the current situation in parliament and that the current system is rotten.” 

Imedi TV has released the video which depicts the two opposition MPs in parliament short before the incident. 

Keburia stated that it is of no importance who carried out the act technically,” refusing to say whether she did it. 

The form of protest is absolutely acceptable for me. It has no importance who carried out the action technically,” Keburia said. 

Events before and after the incident 

• The opposition and  civic activists organized a rally in front of parliament early yesterday as parliament was scheduled to vote on the appointment of  lifelong judges for the Georgian Supreme Court and the suspension of MP status for a member of the United National Movement Nika Melia. 
•  Just before the voting a very unpleasant smell in the legislative body made parliament speaker suspend the session, with ruling party MPs calling the incident as an “actual terrorist act” and claiming the substance was “obviously poisonous.” 
• Shortly after the incident the civic movement Sirtskhvilia (Shame) took responsibility for the incident, saying in a special statement that "we stand behind the odour of feces, which is absolutely safe for human health". 
•  Police are investigating the incident per the article ‘deliberate damage to human health.’