Alasania accuses Ivanishvili of dealing with the judges over Cable-Case
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, June 10
Former Defense Minister and the leader of Free Democrats (FD) Irakli Alasania stated that former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili agreed with the judges about the so-called Cable Case, through which several employees of the Defense Ministry under Alasania were arrested, on a secret meeting held on June 5.
According to Alasania, at the meeting Ivanishvili made an agreement with the judges that in the case they returned the verdict desired by him, the law about the changes in the suspension of authority of judges would not be adopted.
The above mentioned law initiated by the Chair of the Supreme Court Nino Gvenetadze implied the dismissal of 25 Regional Judges before their period expired and the issue caused serious disagreement among the judges and the Chairperson.
According to Alasania, Ivanishvili met with Levan Murusidze, Valeri Tsertsvadze and Mikheil Chinchaladze, the judges who were the most against the change in the law.
“This will have a huge and negative impact on the system of justice in Georgia, which will lead us to irreparable consequences and will reduce the trust of people towards the court,” he said.
The Leader of the FD called upon Ivanishvili to stop interfering in the cases of Court and let the justice to develop in the right way.
Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani stated on June 5 that the changes in the law concerning the dismissal of the judges untimely have been delayed due to the recommendations of the Venice Commission and had nothing in common with the Cable Case.
In response, the General Secretary of the FD Aleksi Petriashvili says that the information released by the Justice Minister saying that the change in the law will not take effect because of the notes from the Venice Commission, is not true.
He said that such comments made by Tsulukiani cause more doubts that the agreement between the judges and Ivanishvili really took place.
“This is a very weak and unsuccessful attempt of the government to take the whole responsibility of this dirty deal on themselves,” stressed Petriashvili.
The Minister of Defence, Tina Khidasheli excludes any kind of agreement among Ivanishvili and the judges.
“I know Bidzina Ivanishvili well enough to exclude such kind of agreement between him and the judges; it is impossible,” she said.
Judges named by Alasania also denied the information spread by Alasania saying that such a meeting has not taken place.
The so-called Cable Case concerned a cable system purchased from the Silknet Company during the time when Alasania was the Defence Minister, and five former officials of the ministry were detained and were charged for misspending budgetary funds. The former minister claims that his employees were innocent, and that there were violations in the case.
