United opposition to nominate ex-Tbilisi mayor Ugulava for Poti mayor
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The united opposition, which currently includes the United National Movement (UNM), European Georgia, Droa and Girchi-More Freedom opposition parties, ‘are very likely’ to nominate former Tbilisi mayor under the UNM Gigi Ugulava for mayor of Poti in western Georgia in the October 2 municipal race, UNM head Nika Melia stated earlier today.
- Four opposition parties present joint candidates for Tbilisi City Assembly
- Opposition parties put forward Melia for Tbilisi mayor, Droa leader Khoshtaria for Sakrebulo chair
Melia said that Ugulava, who had to spend several years in prison for embezzlement of state funds while in office, ‘is a very experienced politician and he should be involved in the elections which carry a big importance.’
Ugulava served as Tbilisi mayor between 2005 and 2013.
He was arrested back in 2014 for embezzling more than four million lari in public funds between 2010 and 2011.
The prosecution said that the money was used to create 800 fictitious job positions within municipal service Tbilservice Group, through which funds were then funneled to pay the salaries of UNM party activists.
He was released in 2017 and soon became the secretary general of a newly created European Georgia opposition party.
In February 2020 Ugulava was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from the Tbilisi Municipal Development Fund while in office.
However, to prevent political escalation in the country, President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him and another opposition leader Irakli Okruashvili in May of the same year.
Ugulava left European Georgia after the 2020 parliamentary elections because of controversies with the head of the party Giga Bokeria on the party’s future.
A Tbilisi City Court judge has annulled the pretrial measure for former Tbilisi Mayor, now leader of the European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava, for an incident at Tbilisi International Airport in December 2019 as he was arrested earlier this year for another case for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL of state funds while in office.
Leader of European Georgia opposition party and ex-Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison by Georgian Supreme Court for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from Tbilisi Municipal Development fund while in office. In February 2018 the Tbilisi Court of Appeals also sentenced Ugulava to one year and three months to prison in the case. However, the sentence was absorbed by another sentence Ugulava faced.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced today that she is pardoning Georgian opposition politicians Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili, which she said was ‘a very difficult decision’. Salome Zurabishvili said although she is very well aware of the ‘real actions and crimes’ of the two former officials, Ugulava and Okruashvili, nevertheless, as the president, she is pardoning them for the sake of 'the country’s interests’.
Former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava was released from prison today around 6:30 PM after Tbilisi Court of Appeals reduced his sentence, effectively ending his prison term.
The candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, says that the country’s Interior Ministry has not given him a document necessary to register for the race, which confirms that he is not a convicted felon for sexual or narcotics crimes.
The united opposition candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, has received a document from the Georgian Interior Ministry allowing him to register for the upcoming October 2 municipal race. He stated two days ago that he could not get a document confirming that he is not a convicted sexual or narcotics felon from the ministry and noted that it was a ‘deliberate campaign’ against him.
The election banner of the united opposition’s joint candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, has been damaged in Poti, Ugulava announced on Facebook. He stated that surveillance cameras are nearby and urged the country’s Interior Ministry to look into the issue.