Court Acquits Former Chief Prosecutor in Physical Assault Case

The Tbilisi City Court found former Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze innocent in the criminal case of the 2017 assault on then State Audit Office Chair Lasha Tordia.

The Court confirmed to Civil.ge that the legal process concluded at the end of January, and while Partskhaladze was acquitted, the second suspect, Mikheil Chokheli, was found guilty and fined GEL 5000 (USD 1500).

Eka Kobesashvili, Tordia’s lawyer, argued the investigation was pursued with “incorrect” charges on the defendant and claimed the Court ruling was “[pre-]arranged.”

The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia confirmed to Civil.ge it plans to take the case to the Appeal Court.

In May 2017, Chairperson of the State Audit Office Lasha Tordia accused Partskhaladze of assaulting him in a downtown Tbilisi club. Tordia claimed the attack was a reprisal for State Audit Office’s ongoing investigation into a case, in which the former Chief Prosecutor featured in connection to a land plots purchase from Tbilisi Mayor’s Office.

On his part, Partskhaladze claimed after the incident that Tordia had initiated the conflict, allegedly heavily drunk.

The prosecution charged Partskhaladze and Chokheli in 2018 under Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving beating or other types of violence that have resulted in physical suffering.

In 2013, Otar Partskhaladze served as Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor for a month, before resigning on December 30 over accusations of removing from custody and pressuring inmate Vano Merabishvili, Georgia’s former UNM-era Interior Minister, and allegations of having a criminal record in Germany.

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