Arrest Warrant Issued against Shevardnadze’s former Ally

The Tbilisi prosecutor’s office today filed criminal charges against one of the allies of ex-President Shevardnadze, former governor of the Kvemo Kartli region Levan Mamaladze.

“Levan Mamaladze is accused of extortion. He is not an ordinary criminal. During his political activity he used to infringe state interests and misappropriated great amount of state funds. In addition, he extorted USD 35,000 from the foreign citizen,” Tbilisi Prosecutor Nodar Grigalashvili said at a news briefing on January 8.

Levan Mamaladze left Georgia after the November rose revolution and presently stays in Russia.

In the phone conversation with the Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television Levan Mamaladze dismissed accusations and said that he became the victim of political repressions.