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Strange Materials from Top Secret Case of “Enveri”

September 6, 2011

Eter Turadze, Newspaper “Batumelebi”

One of the convicted from Enveri Case, pilot Gela Kakabadze met his family members on August 31 for the first time since imprisonment. His wife visited him in Gldani prison # 8. On July 6, the Court sent Gela Kakabadze to prison for 13 years and 6 months. Newspaper Batumelebi interviewed his family members about some details from Kakabadze‘s case.

Davit Dolidze, father-in-law of Gela Kakabadze: “We appealed against the verdict without holding any documents issued by the Court. We do not know what is written in the verdict. We were told at the court they are not going to give a verdict to us unless we petition to them in written form.”

Iamze Dolidze, wife of Gela Kakabadze: “My father gave computer to my children as a present a week before his detention; we did not have even internet at home. He brought the computer on Saturday and they took it on Wednesday. During the special operation, when they finished initial search, one of the officers went to the balcony and told somebody on the phone: “Kakabadze is clean.” I was standing nearby and heard him saying it. Now I regret I did not have recorder with me; I could have saved Gela from imprisonment…then they planted USB stick in the house. They searched the house without witnesses. Although our neighbors were near the house, I did not know that law allowed me to invite witnesses during the search. I live in a concrete house; the windows are divided by boards; the floor is so damaged I am afraid for children when they are walking on it and how could they blame my husband in espionage?!  My neighbors have not changed attitude towards my family after his detention. Just the opposite; after all that, we could not pay the kindergarten’s payment and the administration representatives visited me at home and said it was no problem, they could pay the fees themselves. The entire village was proud of my husband’s professionalism. When he was flying to Batumi over our village, he used to circle round our house to amuse children.”

Gela Kakabadze’s wife Iamze Dolidze lives in Sachino village, Chakvi district together with his two twin sons, 5.

Davit Dolidze: “It is strange that all of detainee were so stupid, that one of them kept USB stick with secret information on the shelf with icons, second had it in the chest of drawers, the third had it on the top of fireplace. Spying officers should have known that similar information shall be carefully hidden at least to keep it away from their children not to say anything about law enforcement officers. How could all five detainees be so careless?!”

Iamze Dolidze: “He did not participate in the military operations [during the armed conflict in 2008]. During the August war he was transporting weapon and aircrafts from hot spots without any contacts with land operations. After the armed conflict they were putting fire in the forests. The President of Georgia awarded him for his job. During the search they took all his awards but left only the Hero Medal he had received from the president. If he was watched since 2006, how did they allow him to accompany President Saakashvili till the very previous day of his detention? The security guards of the President flew by their [detained pilots] planes. Gela was in the airport on the day of his detention. He was called in the morning – he had to take Saakashvili’s riot police officers to Beshumi but officers of Constitutional Security Department detained him there.”

Davit Dolidze: “Petre Devrishadze and Gabriel Ustalishvili pleaded guilty – they are both free now. However, other pilots were not requested to plead guilty. Lately, I met Ustalishvili together with journalists of Maestro-TV; he was wearing military uniform and selling shells on the Tsikhistdziri motorway… he is keeping silence as he has signed the agreement on it. Lawyer Gocha Sagrishvili (departed) informed us about Ustalishvili’s testimony – he confessed that he was spying but said had no contact with detained pilots. We thought Devrishadze had blamed pilots but neither had he done it. If Ustalishvili said he knew nothing about pilots, what he confessed then? Has he denounced any high-ranking official? If it is true who he is? Why nobody was arrested? They allege these people were being watched during 4 years; if it is true, why did not they detain them on the scene of crime? The case materials states –“At certain time, in a certain circumstance, they shared certain information with somebody.” They should at least publish what information they had spread but they have nothing to publish so the case was made Top Secret.

There is one more person in this case – Genadi Gaidarov - who was initially known as Abashidze; he was also questioned. He still works for the Nautical Academy as a lecturer. Gaidarov officially stated at the trial that he was spying for Russians but later Georgian law enforcement officers learned about it and he stopped contact with Russian side. He was also asked about pilots but he only named businessmen – Galogre, Gevorkian and Chikoian. Lawyer Gocha Sagrishvili informed us about everything.”

Davit Dolide: “One more person in the case materials is Mikheil (Misha) Kvachantiradze who was invited by Abashidze [former head of government of Adjara autonomous republic] as a naval instructor for these boys. Gocha Sagrishvili said that Kvachantiradze, who is also spy according to the case materials, had phone-contact with pilots. Since 2006, Kvachantiradze visited Georgia only several times; he even arrived in Batumi; maybe he really visited the country for that purpose but if they were investigating the case since 2006, why they had not arrested Kvachantiradze too?”

Iamze Dolidze: “Only 14 out of 60 students graduated from the Nautical Academy; six of them were arrested; others were sacked from job.”

Davit Dolidze: “I do not see any threat. We have no connection with the state institutions – we receive neither salary, nor pension, we do not work at all. The only person, who worked, is in prison now. I do not know; maybe they will arrest us too…”

Iamze Dolidze: “I always recall words of Girgvliani’s mother [young man killed by Georgian law enforcement officials in an informal situation]: Join me in my protest, there is much impunity in Georgia and everybody will become target of this government. Now I am requesting people to join me.”

Davit Dolidze: “Why did they choose those pilots? – I am also asking it myself. As a joke I can say that Saakashvili cannot recover from Abashidze’s phobia and wants to revenge everybody who worked with Abashidze – first of all, he got rid of military servants and then of pilots. Their contract was expiring soon and in order not to pay money, he got rid of everybody. During one of the meetings, after the fire of the forests was put out, Saakashvili told them – you deserve to have presidential salary. However, nobody increased their salaries; at some point pilots were annoyed with it and expressed protest. Maybe they “corrected” their expenditures for the procurement of military vehicles which they do not need now.”

Batumi City Court sentenced 9 other accused from Enveri case to long-term imprisonments: Eduard Abdulaev, Armen Gevorkyan, Ruben Chikoyan, Tariel Abashidze, Gela Kakabadze, Gocha Diasamidze and Davit Meskhidze were found guilty in espionage and sent them to prison for 11 years; Gela Kakabadze was additionally found guilty in illegal purchase and storage of military materials and finally he was put in prison for 13 years and 6 months; Ruslan Galogre and Iuri Skrilnikov were found guilty in joining the foreign intelligence service against the interests of Georgian state so they were sentenced to 14-year-imprisonment.

Article was initially published on the website www.netgazeti.ge 

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