Ex-Refugee Minister Sentenced to Pretrial Detention

Court sentenced today Valerie Vashakidze, former Minister of Refugees and Accommodation, to three-month pretrial detention. Vashakidze was arrested on September 8, charged with abuse of office.

Valerie Vashakidze, who served as Minister of Refugees and Accommodation in 1995-2003, is accused of issuing fake IDs of internally displaced persons (IDPs); as a result more than 2,000 people were receiving IDP allowances illegally. According to the Prosecutor?s Office the state budget suffered damages of at 1,1 million Lari (approximately USD 648,000) as a result.