Pardoning Commission Makes Explanations over Alleged Murderer of 9-Year Old
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, October 29
Zviad Koridze, a Chairperson of the Pardoning Commission, has released a statement regarding the murder of a 9-year-old girl in Gori, Central Georgia.
The case concerns the information disseminated in the media according to which the alleged murderer, who was detained by the police, was previously convicted and he was pardoned by the president.
Koridze explains that the Commission really issued a positive conclusion about the man but added that the president reduced his sentence only by 1 year and 1 month.
“The Pardoning Commission discussed the case of the man, detained with the charges of murdering the 9-year old girl, in December 2016. He had been in prison since 2008 for burglary and robbery. He was sentenced to 18 years and 4 months. The Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of up to 17 years and 4 months,” he said.
The Chair of the commission says in 2012 his sentence was reduced to 10 years, adding by the time the commission discussed his case in 2016, he had left 2.3 years left in prison and the president reduced his sentence to 1,2 years.
Koridze says the reason why the man’s sentence was reduced is that he became the victim of violence two times in prison and he had a good behavior.
“In the report of the psychologist did not say anything about any type of mental disorder and aggressive nature that could bring harm the people. In the documents, sent from penitentiary establishments, it was confirmed that this man was the victim of torture and inhuman treatment in the prison,” he said.
The police arrested a 34-year old man in connection to the murder of the 9-year old on October 26. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated an investigation is in progress under Point B, Part II, Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Georgia which indicates murder under aggravated circumstances of a minor or a helpless person.
The child disappeared on October 25 evening going to her music class. Her parents started to look for her after she did not show up.
The music teacher says she never made it to class. According to the media, the girl was found with a plastic bag over her head and her hands and feet were bound.
Meri Mamistvalovi, the teacher of the murdered girl told the journalists that the police found photos of the child on the cell phone of the suspect, adding he was watching the minor for some period of time.
Media outlet Qartli.ge wrote about the defendant's past. The publication alleged the same person was linked with another case of an 11-year old teenager, who went missing 14 years ago.
Qartli.ge contacted the mother of the 11-year-old teenager who explained that the same person was asking for the money in exchange for the child’s life.
“My son disappeared 14 years ago. Someone took him away from our yard. We were asked to pay GEL 20,000 in exchange…We had doubts that it was this person who was working for us, repairing cars. The police could not prove that he kidnapped my son but he was convicted for extortion,” the mother of the disappeared teenager told Qartli.ge
