Parliamentary Chairperson Supports Restriction of MPs Immunity

(Tbilisi. April 4, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said today she supports restriction of the MPs immunity, but is against to cede it.
 
The government’s meeting on April 2 discussed the draft law on immunity, which allows for the MPs to be questioned on the basis of a court order and to be stripped of their immunity if they are detained at the scene of a crime.

Shevardnadze rejected as too lax a draft law on immunity, instructing the Justice Ministry to revise it within 10 days. He said “honest and decent people” do not need immunity.

Nino Burjanadze told the reporters today that the complete cede of immunity for the MPs might threaten their political activity.

At present, some 1,000 Georgian officials, including the 235 parliament deputies, enjoy immunity from prosecution.

The law enforcers often complain they cannot investigate cases in which MPs are involved as deputies enjoy with unrestricted immunity from prosecution.  

“I don’t think that the immunity is the obstacle for the law enforcers to investigate crimes, in which allegedly some of MPs are involved,” Nino Burjanadze said.

General Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Parliament on April 1 to lift MP immunity from Davit Bezhuashvili, independent MP from Tetri Tskaro constituency, southern Georgia, which is suspected in alleged misappropriation of 5 million Lari (approximately USD 2,3 million), while being the chief of SakGazi state-run company.

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