Evidence against detained cleric

The Holy Synod had a first discussion since the scandal had started in the church. The Synod members did not revile the details. The news is that the Archbishop of Chkondidi father Petre was dismissed as a head of Patriarchate TV, but no farther details are aired about father Giorgi Mamaladze’s case.

Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office held a special briefing where they revealed and aired part of the evidence against archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze, who was detained on February 10 for the alleged attempted murder of a “high-ranking church figure”.

Now the Prosecutor’s Office said they interrogated more than 30 witnesses and announced that the Patriarch’s female secretary Shorena Tetruashvili was the target of the assassination, not Patriarch Ilia II as person, with the motive had a desire to gain higher positions in the patriarchate.

The Office reported the investigation was launched on February 2, when Georgian citizen Irakli Mamaladze, informed the Prosecutor’s Office that his acquaintance, Father Giorgi Mamaladze, asked him to help acquire potassium cyanide.

“At the same time, Irakli Mamaladze introduced the audio-video footage proving his claims and the sheet of paper that read ‘potassium cyanide’ written by father Giorgi Mamaladze. Irakli Mamaladze himself said that Giorgi Mamaladze planned to murder a high-ranking church figure,” the Office said.

“Giorgi Mamaladze planned to leave for Germany where Georgia’s Patriarch was operated and was accompanied there by several people, including Secretary Shorena Tetruashvili. Therefore, Giorgi Mamaladze was in a hurry to purchase the substance,” the prosecutor of the case, Jarji Tsiklauri, said.

Irakli Mamaladze cooperates with investigation and he provided it with secret recordings.

“The audio and video materials confirmed that Giorgi Mamaladze intended to buy cyanide and use it against a human being,” Tsiklauri confirmed.

The prosecutor said at the first meeting Irakli Mamaladze told the archpriest that it was especially difficult to find potassium cyanide and offered Georgian produced natrium cyanide instead.

“The detainee showed interest whether it would have the same effect as potassium cyanide and searched for information in the internet about natrium cyanide, as a result of this he concluded it was a powerful poison and had the same effect on human as potassium cyanide. Afterwards he asked Irakli Mamaladze to purchase it,” Tsiklauri said.

However, Tsiklauri stated the archpriest didn’t buy the substance from Irakli Mamaladze, he bought it from “some other person”; the investigators still don't know from whom, and they continue to search for this claim.

The detained clergyman’s lawyers say the video footage released by the Prosecutor’s Office was a montage to mislead the public and turn them against Giorgi Mamaladze.

They claim Mamaladze is innocent and they will prove this in the very near future.

According to lawyers it is interesting why there is no deeper information about the person from whom the clergyman allegedly purchased the cyanide.

The priest's detention has already caused a large-scaled stir, and the Prosecutors’ Office must reveal the full evidence surrounding the case for the public to come to their own conclusions.