Today morning, parliamentarians Eldar Shengelaia, Vasil Maglaperide and kote Kemularia (Citizens’ Union) hold a press conference dedicated to a court process against ex-minister of finances Guram Absandze on August 1st. Judge Iuri Tkeshelashvili expelled Guram Absandze and his state-appointed lawyer from the court hall. Parliamentarians presume, that the judge has violated Georgian Constitution when he removed the suspect and the lawyer from the court seating.
Representative if the Prosecutor’s Office explains, that since the defendant was not facing life-long term, he and his lawyer could be removed from the hall.
It is remarkable, that out of 12 suspects, detained with the charges of organizing terrorist act against President Shevardnadze, only 3 have lawyers. Vasil Maglaperidze evaluated such situation very negatively and stated, that such cases might weaken citizens’ trust to the Supreme Court. The parliamentarians plan to address the Supreme Court with demand to return the case to the stage, when Absandze was removed from the hall.