According to Merab Kikabidze, Prosecutor Forced Him to Testify against Akhalaia

Salome Ckheidze

At the hearing of case of former Defense Minister Bachana Akhalaia, defendant Merab Kikabidze was interrogated. According to Kikabidze, Prosecutor Tsatsua demanded him to testify against Akhalaia and general Kalandadze and promised that Kalandadze would be released in exchange. 

Interrogation of defendants has ended at Bacho Akhalaia’s trial. At a trial held on July 7th former head of second brigade of infantry Merab Kikabidze, former deputy head of penitentiary department Gaga Mkurnalidze and former commander-in-chief of Joint Armed Forces Giorgi Kalandadze were interrogated.

Merab Kikabidze noted at the interrogation that Office of Prosecutor pressured him during preliminary investigation and they were demanding him to accuse Bacho Akhalaia and Giorgi Kalandadze.

“Prosecutor Konstantine Tsatsua told me directly not to sacrifice everything for Akhalaia and Kalandadze. He said that he had permission to arrest me in case I did not obey and it would be better for me if I confirmed things that investigator asked me during the interrogation. It strongly affected me. However, I answered only truth when Katsitadze asked me questions. I stated that Akhalaia and Kalandadze have not committed any crime. Prosecutor Tsatsua who realized that I was not going to lie, started calling somebody and then they decided to arrest me,” – Merab Kikabidze stated at the trial. 

Defendant Gaga Mkurnalidze was interrogated regarding the episode of illegal detention of businessman Zviad Abesadze. According to him, he was at work in the morning of September 11th of 2011 when the former head of penitentiary Davit Chakua called him and asked him to go to the restaurant Maspinedzelo. According to Mkurnalidze, he was met by Bachana Akhalaia, Giorgi Kalandadze, Davit Chakua, Zviad Abesadze and several other persons in the restaurant. However, in about 15 minutes after his arrival, Akhalaia and Kalanadze left.

“When I went back to the restaurant, Zviad Abesadze and Davit Chakua were talking. Abesadze was saying that they had brought good women from Ukraine and was offering him to go with him. They offered me to go as well. I rejected offer because I had to go to the doctor. Then Davit Chakua told me that they needed apartment and asked me to call Giorgi Kintsurashvili. I called Giorgi and told him that Chakua and his friend wanted apartment for women and that they would call to meet him later. Then I left the restaurant,” – Mkurnalidze stated. 

The prosecution noted that on November 15th of 2013 Mkurnalidze addressed investigation with a complaint where he expressed desire for cooperation and was saying that he would say truth. As a result, Mkurnalidze was interrogated twice and confessed that Akhalaia and Kalandadze committed crime. Now he was giving completely different testimony. Prosecutor Jemal Kobaidze asked Mkurnalidze whether he was forced to give such testimony. Defendant stated that he did not want to answer this question. According to him, he did not want to remember what happened and that the prosecutors should have known what happened in reality. Prosecutor was also interested whether Mkurnalidze was pressured after the detention. Gaga Mkurnalidze denied the fact of pressure.

Former commander-in-chief of the Joint Armed Forces Gigi Kalandadze was also interrogated at the trial. According to him, Irakli Alasania offered him to collaborate with the investigation. He stated that he was met with Tea Tsulukiani and Archil Kbilashvili in the cabinet later and they imposed criminal charges against him. According to Kalandadze, it violated his rights.