Shalva Tadumadze: “Head of Security Guard of Ivanishvili’s Residence Is Political Prisoner”

Head of Security Guard of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s residence in Bakuriani Revaz Mumladze was arrested. The court has already imposed pretrial detention on him and he is in Tbilisi Prison # 8. Mumladze’s lawyer Shalva Tadumadze told the newspaper Resonance that his client does not plead guilty and due to several circumstances he is a political prisoner. The newspaper “Resonance” published an article with the headline: “The Lawyer Claims the Chief Security Guard of Ivanishvili’s Residence is Political Prisoner.”

“Revaz Mumladze was arrested in Borjomi at night on February 14. He was detained by the Samtskhe-Javakheti regional unit of the Investigation Service of Revenue Department. He was charged under Article 186 and 201 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The former envisages imprisonment up to five years and the latter several punishments including fine and imprisonment up to 4 years. Mumladze does not plead guilty. The accusation and his personality convince us that he is a political prisoner. The factual circumstances of the preventive accusation do not prove that Mumladze really committed a crime – simply, he was imprisoned because he is chief security guard of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Bakuriani residence,” Shalva Tadumadze told the journalist.

“In 2010 a plot was purchased in Bakuriani. Nobody had questions about this procurement so far. But later, the seller admitted that he had fabricated documents and he was charged for it. There is a court verdict, executed, which states that the seller fabricated the documents and Revaz Mumladze did not know about it and could not know it either. Consequently, he was honest purchaser of the plot and there were no more problems with regard to the procurement. After Ivanishvili’s political statement, the law enforcement bodies started investigation and it concluded that Revaz Mumladze knew about fabrication of the documents regardless the fact that the Court had passed different judgment,” the lawyer said.

“The information spread by the Revenue Service, as if he is charged for indicating less sum in the purchase agreement in order to avoid tax payment. However, the law about the land discharges both purchaser and seller from tax payment. So, the information spread by the Revenue Service is not true and it demonstrates that the investigative bodies cannot work properly and there are no circumstances which could prove the crime committed by Mumladze. Simply, it was politically motivated revenge,” Shalva Tadumadze.

“Mumladze is sentenced to two-month pretrial detention. Currently, he is in Tbilisi Prison #8. We have appealed the verdict and we will receive a reply from the Appeal Court in several days,” the lawyer said and answered next question of the Resonance: “Was Mumladze intimidated and what are?” “He was not subjected to oppression. He feels well. He does not plead guilty and intends to protect his truth by lawful methods.”

According to the press review of the Interpresnews