Wanted ex-defence minister Kezerashvili vows to appeal his five-year sentence in ECHR
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Georgia’s former defence minister under the United National Movement (UNM) government David Kezerashvili, who holds a 51% stake in opposition-minded Formula TV, pledges he will appeal a recent verdict by the Georgian Supreme Court against him in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Georgian Supreme Court sentenced Kezerashvili to five years in prison in absentia yesterday for embezzling more than five million euros which should have been spent on a military exercise back in 2008, when Kezerashvili was in office.
Kezerashvili, who has been on the run since 2012, claims that the ‘biased verdict’ aims to ‘frighten’ him and Formula TV, noting that the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili and the party officials stand behind the judgement.
- Kezerashvili served as the head of Georgia’s financial police between 2004 and 2006, while between 2006 and 2008 he held the post of defence minister.
- He was one of the first UNM officials who fled the country shortly after the 2012 parliamentary elections in which the Georgian Dream coalition defeated the United National Movement.
- Five separate proceedings were launched against him back in 2012, related to money laundering, embezzlement, corruption and abuse of authority.
- Interpol declared a search for Kezerashvili by red notice in 2014. However, it terminated the search the next year.
- The GD officials said that Interpol’s decision was connected with a changed methodology, while Kezerashvili’s lawyer stated that the case was believed to be politically motivated.
- Georgia has requested Kezerashvili’s extradition from France and the UK twice. However, the request was declined.
- Kezerashvili is described as one of the wealthiest former UNM officials.
The State Prosecutor’s Office of Israel for Tax and Financial Crimes has plans to bring charges against four individuals, including a close relative of Georgia’s former, currently wanted defence minister David Kezerashvili, for evading taxes on $11 million in income from defense deals in Georgia under the United National Movement government between 2007 and 2009.
Charges against two former officials of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s government have been intensified.
Tbilisi City Court has imposed pre-trial detention on Georgia’s former Minister of Defence David Kezerashvili while he faces charges for extortion of property.
Prosecutor’s Office lays charges against Kezerashvili
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office has laid charges against Georgia’s former Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili for extortion of property.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia is filing a lawsuit against the former defence minister under the United National Movement (UNM) government David Kezerashvili and former head of the State Procurement Department Alexander Ninua, demanding compensation of €5 million for embezzlement, announces the Ministry of Defence.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has said that the former official of the United National Movement (UNM), David Kezerashvili, allegedly stands behind the fraudulent call centres. Garibashvili claims that Kezerashvili, who held the position of the minister of defense of Georgia under the UNM government, supposedly organised a criminal investment network operating as call centres.
The Tbilisi City Court fully upheld a claim of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia and has ordered David Kezerashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia, and Alexander Ninua, the former Head of the State Procurement Department, to pay €5,060,000 compensation to the Ministry in an embezzlement case.
The Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the City Court verdict of embezzlement of state funds against David Kezerashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, and ordered him to pay a €5,060,000 compensation to the Ministry.