3 Persons Sentenced for Batumi Building Collapse

The Batumi City Court today ruled prison sentences for three individuals over the collapse of a residential building in downtown Batumi, Georgia’s coastal town, on October 8, 2021.

The collapse of the five-turned-seven-floor building, which shocked the nation, killed 9 people who were in the building at the time. It occurred because Zaur Budagovi, owner of the ground floor apartment, carried out construction and renovation work in gross violation of safety rules and without municipal permission.

Budagovi was sentenced to 4 years in prison, while the construction workers he hired, father and son Khusein and Giorgi Surmanidze, were each given 3 years.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia reported that Budagovi was found guilty under Article 240, Part I and II, of the Criminal Code of Georgia which envisages the breach of safety regulations during construction or other works that result in both less serious or serious bodily injury and death.

The Surmanidzes were both found guilty under Article 116, Part II, which implies negligent manslaughter committed against two or more persons, under Article 124 referring to grave or less grave bodily injury through negligence, and under Article 188, Part I for negligent damage or destruction of another person’s property that has resulted in substantial damage.

The three men plan to dispute the decision in the Appellate Court. The trio originally faced up to 10 years of imprisonment under Article 240, Part II and Article 187, Part III of the Criminal Code, involving the breach of safety regulations during construction works.

Georgia declared a national day of mourning at the time on October 11.

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