Witness Claims He Saw Gunava Holding Firearm After Gunshot

Salome Achba

Bakur Gulua, one of the main witnesses in the case on Tengiz Gunava, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Governor, was questioned at the trial. According to his statement, he personally eye-witnessed the incident, of what Gunava is accused by the prosecutor. Gulua said, he was wounded in the leg but since his back was turned he could not see who had fired. Gulua said having turned back he saw Gunava was holding the firearm.

The episode the witness was interrogated about is about slight injury of the body. According to the investigative unit, Tengiz Gunava and his driver quarreled and Gunava shot his driver – victim Izoria by his service firearm and wounded him in the leg.

According to case materials, Kakha Izoria, who was Gunava’s driver, sent loving message to Gunava’s relative woman on the cell phone. As Izoria claims he had mixed up the phone numbers and wanted to send it to another person. Case materials and witness testimonies show that the incident occurred because of this message.

Witness Bakur Gulua said that after the incident not only Kakhaber Izoria but he was also wounded. He said he saw Gunava holding gun several seconds after the gunshot.

“At that time I worked at the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regional department. In the frame of operative investigative activities of our department we listened to the phone-conversations of a suspected person. Kakhaber Izoria had called that person so we started listening to his number too. Soon, we discovered a loving sms sent from Izoria’s phone number to Tengiz Gunava’s relative woman. Gunava was my friend and of course I told him about it. I personally called Izoria, showed him the text printed out on the paper and reprimanded him for having done it. Soon, I learned Izoria had quitted job.

Two days later, Tengiz Gunava called me and I thought he wanted to spend free time with me, as we were friends. He did not tell me where we were going. We arrived at the railway station where we met Kakha Izoria. Kakha and Tengizi were talking; Temur and Joni Belkanias were there too. Gunava told Izoria: “Why did you do similar thing with me? I have brought you up like my own son.” Izoria tried to justify his behavior saying he had mixed up the number. We were standing nearby. Soon, Izoria left Gunava and walked past me. Suddenly I heard gunshot from my back and I felt pain in the leg; I fell down. I turned back immediately and saw Gunava was holding gun. I soon heard second gunshot but I did not see who had fired; however, I saw Gunava was still holding the gun. I was feeling bad and Belkania took me to hospital. When we were leaving the station, I saw a person on the pavement; presumably he was Izoria,” Bakur Gulua said who doubts he was shot by accident.

Audience had harsh reaction on Bakur Gulua’s statement. They cursed and verbally insulted him. Judge expelled some of them from the courtroom and fined two of them with 200 lari. Next trial on Gunava’s case is scheduled on April 17.