Police detain 2 for coercion, offering bribe to district election commission head

Georgian police have detained two individuals for offering a bribe to the head of the Isani No. 5 district election commission (DEC) on behalf of a political political party, asking him to step down from his position and claim that the recent parliamentary elections were rigged. 

The Interior Ministry has announced that on November 6, the individuals identified only as A.Kh. and A.K., both born in 1975, met with the head of Isani No. 5 district election commission Tevdore Gobejishvili and offered him $50,000 if he would demonstratively quit in front of media and speak about the election fraud. 

Following Gobejishvili’s refusal the two threatened him 'with retaliation and coerced him to agree to the proposal', the interior ministry said. It also added that the day later on November 7, Gobejishvili was found dead in his apartment. 

The interior ministry released a video footage of the detention:

At a news briefing yesterday, the ruling Georgian Dream party member Giorgi Khelashvili expressed his concerns for the death of Gobejishvili, 43, who had been chairing the Isani DEC since 2006.

Claiming that late Gobejishvili was threatened by the opposition United National Movement (UNM) supporters, Khelashvili urged for the investigation into the case. 

Denying the allegations, UNM member Zaal Udumashvili said the detained individuals - Akaki Khuskivadze and Akaki Kobaladze - are the 'political hostages' and that the Georgian Dream should not be using 'human tragedies' their own political purposes.

Opposition politicians and their supporters have been holding protest rallies at the DECs in Tbilisi and regions since the October 31 parliamentary elections. 

Expressing mistrust to the final results, they are gathering at 3 p.m. at Rustaveli Avenue today demanding the resignation of the Central Election Commission chair Tamar Zhvania and holding of repeat elections.