Late PM Zhvania’s bodyguard makes scandalous testimony
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, July 14
Late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania’s head of Security Service, Koba Kharshiladze, made a scandalous testimony before a jury several days ago.
He stressed that he decided to put a point to the ten-year silence over the issue and admit the truth.
He claimed that Zhvania and Kvemo Kartli official Raul Usupov were found naked at a confidential flat on February 3, 2005, intoxicated by carbon monoxide.
Kharshiladze asked to pardon Zhvania’s soul and stated that he acted as any normal man would have acted on his place.
“We dressed Zhvania and Usupov and moved Usupov’s body to the car. However, then we realized that finding Zhvania in the flat alone would be absurd and returned Usupov’s body to the scene again,” Kharshiladze said.
Zhvania’s family states that the Zharshiladze’s testimony was drafted by Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
“Saakashvili and his team have tried for a long time to voice and spread the absurd view among public for years,” Gogla Zhvania, Zurab Zhvania’s brother, said.
“If the jury believes the delirium that will be a big black spot on them,” former MP Khatuna Khoperia said, noting that there were signs on Zhvana’s body that confirmed he was killed.
“Kharshiladze sold Zhvania for eight million GEL,” she added.
Marina Molodini, Zhvania’s former companion, says that Saakashvili was very much worried by Zhvania’s increasing rating.
“ It was a murder, but not a planned murder,” she says.
Kharshiladze’s lawyers state that even the international experts and FBI stated that Zhvania smothered and no negligence took place from his guard side.
Members of the opposition United National Movement also claim that Zhvania’s death was an accident, while the members of the majority stress that there are many question marks over the issue that should be answered.
The original investigation which took place in 2005 concluded that the deaths of the two men were attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The re-investigation of the case is being launched under the current Georgian Dream government and is based on the request of the Zhvania and Usupov families, as they did not trust the official investigation.
