Prosecutors Summon Two UNM MPs for Questioning

Two lawmakers from UNM opposition party Giorgi Gviniashvili, a former prosecutor, and Kakha Butskhrikidze, a former deputy head of prison system, have been summoned by prosecutors for questioning as “witnesses”.

Prosecutor’s office said that the MPs were summoned as part of ongoing investigation related to high-profile murder case of Sandro Girgvliani and its aftermath. In particular, prosecutor’s office said, MP Gviniashvili was chief prosecutor of Tbilisi at the time of Girgvliani’s murder in 2006 and MP Butskhrikidze was deputy head of the penitentiary department at the time when four former interior ministry officers where serving their prison term for Girgvliani’s murder; but the prosecutor’s office now investigates claims that those four officers were provided with “privileged” conditions in prison in exchange for covering up involvement of their superiors in the murder case. Former prison chief, Bacho Akhalaia, has already been charged in connection to this latter episode related to providing “privileged” conditions in prison to the four former interior ministry officers.

MP Gviniashvili said that his and his colleague’s summoning by prosecutors was part of the authorities “new wave of attack on the opposition.” MP Gviniashvili, who has to arrive at the prosecutor’s office on Friday afternoon, said he will appear before prosecutors.

Law does not ban questioning of a lawmaker, but law enforcement agencies have no right to detain or to search MP and his or her office and vehicle without an approval from the Parliament.

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