The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office announced on November 19 that it has brought charges against two former top officials over exceeding official powers into the high-profile murder case of Amiran (Buta) Robakidze in 2004.
Former Prosecutor General Zurab Adeishvili, who left Georgia in late 2012, following Georgian Dream assuming the power, is presently living in Hungary, where he was granted an asylum. Since 2013, he has been wanted by the Georgian government on various charges.
In the statement released today, the Prosecutor’s Office said that after being informed that police killed Robakidze during vehicle inspection, Irakli Okruashvili instructed senior officials of the Interior Ministry to save the image of patrol police and qualify the case as an attack on police by an armed group.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, upon Okruashvili’s instructions, the Ministry officials planted firearms and ammunition in the car carrying Amiran Robakidze and his friends. “Later, upon Chief Prosecutor Zurab Adeishvili’s instructions, the investigation was carried out in legally incorrect direction,” it said.
Members of Victorious Georgia say that Irakli Okruashvili is a political prisoner and link new charges against him to Bidzina Ivanishvili, chairman of the ruling party. According to them, Ivanishvili is afraid of releasing Okruashvili and that the new charges aim at prolonging his imprisonment.
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