Trial on Vano Merabishvili’s Case Renewed without the Accused Person

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

“If about 4000 witnesses, whose interrogation started today, will use cheat sheets, it is useless to ask them questions and holding trials in general? Place me in prison directly and finish this story,” Kakheti regional governor Zurab Chiaberashvili said at the October 21 trial at the Kutaisi City Court.

Chiaberashvili got irritated after witness Boris Chopyani, specialist at the Legal Unit of the Ministry of Finance; he was one of 3969 witnesses to be interrogated into the case. 

Chopyani used previously made cheat sheets to answer the questions at the trial; this fact caused discontent in the courtroom.

“This fact, witnesses with cheat sheets, proves that Merabishvili and Chiaberashvili are innocent,” lawyer Giorgi Chiviashvili said.

The defense side and accused Zurab Chiaberashvili requested expertise of the so-called cheat papers. They said it is high probability that the cheat sheets were not written by the witnesses and the prosecutor’s office had prepared them; so other witnesses might also use them at next trials. 

On October 21, the postponed trial on Merabishvili-Chiaberashvili’s case renewed at the Kutaisi City Court. On October 17, Judge Natia Barbakadze postponed the trial due to absence of the accused Vano Merabishvili. Secretary general of the UNM Merabishvili, charged under three articles of the Georgian Criminal Code (bribery of voters, misappropriation of the state property and abuse of professional power), did not appear at the trial in protest.

“We asked the prosecutors to provide us with the list of witnesses two days before the trial. We wanted to know their names and be prepared for the trial. However, the prosecutor’s office sent us the list several hours before the trial. It is natural that parties are put in unequal conditions. Vano Merabishvili will not attend the trial in protest,” Merabishvili’s lawyer Giorgi Chiviashvili said at the October 17 trial.

Accused Merabishvili did not appear at October 21 trial either, though this time he could not come because of poor health.

Four witnesses were questioned on October 21. Three of them (representing the Ministry of Finance and State Audit Office) were questioned with regard to the State Employment Program and the fourth witness was questioned about Kvariati episode.

The court hearing, which lasted about five hours in noisy environment at Kutaisi City Court, finished with the satisfaction of the defense side’s solicitation. Lawyer Giorgi Chiviashvili requested to summon those people to the trial as witnesses, who are employees of the State Audit Office and as witness Zurab Aznaurashvili said, they have prepared special conclusion with regard to this case.

Next trial will be held at the Kutaisi City Court on October 24; employees of Ministry of Finance and beneficiaries of the State Employment Program will be questioned at the next trial.