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Victim’s Family Demand That Guilty Reservists Are Punished

February 3, 2006

 

 Victim’s Family Demand That Guilty Reservists Are Punished


Aliosha Buzhgulashvili, from the village of Tirdznisi in the Gori region has for a whole year been calling for the punishment of guilty reservists. The reservists took military machinery whilst drunk form Osiauri base and caused a bloody car accident.  Law enforcers are still investigating the reason for the accident. The victims claim that the drunken reservists used the military equipment.

The family of Aliosha Bezhgulashvili moved to Tirdznisi after being displacemed from Tskhinvali. The tragedy happened on May 17, 2005.  “Because we were hard-up, a relative sold us the vehicle (a “Gazeli”) with an agreement that we pay the price of it gradually. Another relative, Chichiko Beradze, worked as a driver for us. The driver and my wife, Rita Arsoeva, were coming back home in the “Gazeli” on May 17, when they left Khashuri, another vehicle (a “Kamazi”) driven by the reservists crossed into to their lane and crashed into them. There was no chance for the driver of the “Gazeli” to avoid it.  Both the driver and my wife died”, says Aliosha Buzhgulashvili.

Later, the family found out that Malkhaz Skhiladze, who was accompanied by Iveri Guledani, was driving the “Kamazi” lorry, owned by the National Guard Reservists’ Preparation and Professional Equipment Base. The above persons were drunk and hid after the crash.  The case that the investigator showed to the victim’s family included a July 1 narcological testing writ on Guledani, dated 17 May, which testifies he was not to drunk. However, Bezhgulashvili claims that this is a falsified document. 

According to the case files, the “Kamazi” that crushed the “Gazeli” was under the charge of Corporal Sebiskveradze, who stated during the interrogation that the car was in good condition. He did not know when or how Skhirtladze and Guledani managed to take such military machinery. Aliosha Bezhgulashvili believes that nothing has been done to punish the guilty persons.

Giorgi Mazmiashvili, the investigator at Shida-Kartli police department, applied to the Court Expertise National Bureau according to the May 31, 2005 decision. The advocate of the victims family, Manana Ivelashvili, claims that the court’s expert’s answers were vague and non-objective.  “The first expert didn’t accuse the driver of the “Kamazi”, Malkhaz Skhiladze, in his statement. The expert instead doubted the good working condition of the car. According to the expert testimony, the “Kamazi” was technically in a poor condition and it was difficult for the driver to prevent the crash. However, the investigation at the scene of the accident revealed that the military car crossed from its driving lane to the opposite one. The “Gazeli”, driving in the correct lane, tried to avoid the accident but didn’t manage to, because the “Kamazi” stayed in the wrong lane”, stated Manana Ivelashvili.

Giorgi Mazmiashvili, the investigator at Shida-Kartli police department, asked for a second examination on October 31, 2005. Murad Khochanashvili then carried out the examination later on December 6, 2005. The facts gathered from the first examination were contradicted by the second one. The second expert categorically excluded the poor condition of the military vehicle as a cause and came to the following conclusions: “the “Kamazi 4310” steering wheel mechanism was in good order before the accident; consequently, it could not have caused the vehicle to swerve to the left”.  It should be mentioned that the driver of the military vehicle, Malkhaz Skhiladze, also says that the accident was caused by a mechanical failure of the car.

Aliosha Buzhgulashvili demands the guilty persons, whose carelessness killed his spouse Rita Arsoeva, are punished for their crime.

Saba Tsitsikashvili from Gori

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