Ex-Chief Prosecutor Charged
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, November 7
Georgian former Chief Prosecutor in 2013 Otar Partskhaladze has been charged for the beating of former head of the State Audit Office Lasha Tordia last year.
Partskhaladze has been released on bail on Tuesday.
Partskhaladze and his companion Mikheil Chokheli both have to pay the bail of 5,000 GEL for their attack on Tordia in May 2017 at El Centro Club in capital Tbilisi.
The court hearing will take place on December, 20, 2018.
Tordia, who claims that he was attacked because of his body’s findings against Partskhaladze, says that the charge is related to the election runoff.
He says that the government is doing its utmost to regain the public trust and “staging such short-term shows.”
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office does not confirm that the attack was because of Tordia’s duties.
“As for the allegation of Tordia that the confrontation was related to his audit report, the investigation is ongoing in this direction due to the high public interest. International experts are involved in the process and as far as I am informed, they will publish their conclusion in the nearest future”, the Prosecutor’s Office says.
The office also stated why Partskhaladze has been released on bail.
“According to the conclusion of the forensic examination, Lasha Tordia received a slight health injury as a result of beating. Accordingly, Tordia was recognized as a victim, while bail was ordered for Otar Partskhaladze and Mikheil Chokheli due to the fact that the mentioned action is a less grave crime.”
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says that Partskhaladze’s charge is not related to the election runoff.
“Everyone is equal before the law,” he says.
Head of the Transparency International Georgia Eka Gigauri says that it is obvious that Parstkhaladze has been indicted due to the dissatisfaction in the society and the results of the first round of elections.
The Georgian Dream supported presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili received 0,9 percent more votes than her opponent from the opposition Grigol Vashadze.
The runoff must be held no later than 2 December.
Partskhaladze served as chief prosecutor in 2013, under the Georgian Dream leadership, while Tordia was the United National Movement MP before he took the post of chief auditor between 2012 and 2017.
