Mother of deceased policeman accuses majority MP of bribery
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, January 13
The mother of Officer Vladimer Masurashvili, who died on May 26 2011, has accused Vice–Speaker Manana Kobakhidze, the Chair of the Human Rights Committee Eka Beselia and human rights defender Nana Kakabadze, of bribery.
According to Masurashvili’s mother, Ana Aznaurashvili, the officials took money in exchange for granting freedom to her son’s murderer, Aleksandre Bibiluri.
It should be noted that according to official information released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vladimer Masurashvili died after being knocked down by a car of the escort of protest rally organizer Nino Burjanadze during a protest rally held by the opposition on May 26, 2011. The car’s driver, Aleksandre Bibiluri, was arrested, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Bibiluri was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment. However, after a year, he was released after being dubbed as a political prisoner.
Aznaurashvili says she has no proof that Beselia and Kobakhidze accepted a bribe, but she is sure of her convictions.
“When I learned that Bibiluri was in the list of political prisoners, I addressed the Chief Prosecutor and the Human Rights Committee but nobody paid any attention to me. These three ladies made fun of me…I want to tell the whole country that I will do my best to bring this case to an end,” stated Aznaurashvili.
Masurashvili’s mother also called upon Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and the Parliament Chair Davit Usupashvili to prevent injustice and send guilty people back to jail. She said that Burjanadze’s party paid money for the freedom of Bibiluri.
The head of a Non-Governmental Organization (the Law Enforcement Reform Centre), Zviad Kuprava, said that many criminals are left prison with the status of political prisoners.
Kuprava addressed the prosecutor's office with a request to question the people who had connections with drafting the list of political prisoners.
“The fact that Masurashvili’s murderer spent just one year in prison instead of 8 and left the prison as a political prisoner shows that the lists of political prisoners have nothing to do with justice and it is all in the field of personal interests,” underlined Kuprava.
Vice-Speaker Manana Kobakhidze says the statement of Masurashvili’s mother is nothing but slander and part of a targeted campaign against her.
“It is dirty slander and it is such a pity that some political forces are using this woman…granting political prisoner’s statuses is the decision of the Commission, which does not consist of MPs. The Commission who made such decision should be questioned, not me,” stated Kobakhidze.
