Former Law Enforcers is Detained for Drug Addiction

On November 4, Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze, the chairman of Akhaltsikhe Election District # 37 was detained in his own house based on the investigative information of the Akhaltsikhe District Police Department. He was accused of illegal possession of drugs. Nugzar Samarjishvili, the attorney of the detainee, stated that his client will not plead guilty and claims that the drug substance did not belong to him and he had never dealt with narcotics in his life.

The chairman of the Election Commission is more worried about the discreditable accusation rather than being detained.

Zaal Tabatadze, the chief investigator of the Akhaltsikhe Department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is in charge of the case. Nobody at the department comments on the case. Neither the Akhaltsikhe District Prosecutor’s Office nor the Samtskhe-Javakheti Prosecutor’s Office comments on the fact.

Revaz Kachkachishvili, a judge at the Akhaltsikhe District Court, will discuss the Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze case.

“On November 3, 2007 the Akhaltsikhe District Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation on criminal case # 16070211 – the case against Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze for illegal possession of narcotic substances.”

Zhuzhanadze is accused under the Article 260-II-a of the Georgian Criminal Code and is charged for illegal possession of a particularly large amount of narcotic substances.

Investigator Zaal Tabatadze appealed to the court to sentence Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze to imprisonment based on factual and procedural grounds. “Zhuzhunadze does not plead guilty; does not collaborate with the investigation and knowing that he is accused of a particularly grave crime he might avoid liabilities; or go on with his criminal activities.”

The document states that the accused was under the influence of drugs while in detention.

Attorney Nugzar Samarjishvili defends the interests of the detainee who thinks that the accused should not have been imprisoned. He requested to release Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze on bail however the court did not satisfy his request.

Attorney Nugzar Samarjishvili, who has known the accused for a long time, stated that it is completely unbelievable to him that Zhuzhunadze was detained for illegal possession of narcotic substances.

“Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze was a prominent employee of various departments within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Even during Edward Shevardnadze’s governance, when policemen used to plant drugs on suspects, officials were accused of drug addiction, bribery, extortion and many other crimes, I wondered how such an honest person could manage to continue his job.”

Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze is a member of the national party. In order to prove the honesty of his client, the attorney mentions his current position: “He was the chairman of Election District # 37 in Akhaltsikhe until now. It is evident that if he had been suspected of any crime, he would not have been appointed to this position.”

Samarjishvili said that his client is more worried about the discreditable accusation made against him, than being detained.

“Even if I am sentenced to imprisonment, I will always claim that the drugs were not mine. I do not know how they appeared in my house,” said Zhuzhunadze to his attorney.

Samarjishvili does not exclude the possibility that the person who informed the police could have been the one who planted drugs in Zhuzhunadze’s house. “We try to guess who has visited his house recently. The incident might be a result of Zhuzhunadze’s previous work for the police department. When a person works for the police he might have a lot of enemies.”

“The honest life of Malkhaz Zhuzhunadze encourages me to find out the truth. If he had ever been suspected of any crimes, administrative ones or the abuse of drugs, it would have been impossible for me to persuade somebody of his innocence,” said the lawyer.

The family members cannot make comments on the situation.

“I cannot understand what is going on,” said the mother of the accused, Tsisana Zhuzhunadze.

“He is perfect, an honest person…he cannot be accused of such a crime,” said the neighbors.

The attorney stated that in the evening of November 6 the accused was taken to the Tbilisi Prison # 5. If the charges against Malkhaz Zhuzhnadze stick, he will be placed in prison for 7 to 14 years.

Gulo Kokhodze, Akhaltsikhe