18 People Detained for Criminal Settlement of Conflict in Khoni

Marika Vacharadze, Khoni

As a result of a special operation in Khoni on July 6, 18 people were detained in their own homes at five in the morning. In addition, approximately 40 people were brought to the police station and interrogated as witnesses. On July 8, Darejan Kvaratskhelia, judge at the Khoni district court, sentenced nine suspects to a two month pretrial detention. Five attorneys defended the suspects.

Giorgi Chankseliani is accused in the violation of public order, support of criminal traditions and illegal possession of a weapon. The report on Chankseliani’s criminal liability states: on March 8, 2010 he called a resident of Khoni district, an influential criminal named Noe Tsulaia who now lives in the Russian Federation city, Saratov. The accused denied the allegations and exercised his right to remain silent. He did not present any testimony to the investigation. Together with the two-month pretrial detention, Chankseliani was fined 500 GEL as an administrative charge for the use of marijuana.

During the search of Murman Tsivtsivadze’s house, the law enforcement officers withdrew 0.8 grams of heroin. He is accused of supporting criminal traditions. Tsivtsivadze also exercised his right to remain silent but the judge still imposed an administrative fine of 500 GEL to him also. Experts confirmed the existence of the narcotic substance in Tsivtsivadze’s blood. His attorney Nodar Kvitsiani said that Tsivtsivadze did not contact with the criminal on his phone. He stated that other people have used his mobile phone and is now attempting to recall who borrowed his phone over four months ago.

The drug-test did not detect a narcotic substance in the blood of Zurab Tsivtsivadze. However, he confessed that 0.3 grams of marijuana discovered in his house did in fact belong to him. He pleaded not guilty to supporting criminal traditions and hooliganism.

Dimitri Bughashvili lives in Batumi and arrived in Khoni as a guest. He was detained for the illegal purchase and possession of heroin. He was also accused of membership in the criminal world. He pleaded guilty to the last accusation but still denies the illegal purchase and possession of narcotic substances. Attorney Mikheil Liparidze requested bail of 5 000 GEL under a plea-bargain agreement because the accused has a wife and a minor child. The judge did not consider the motion and  deemed the accused a threat to society.

Koba Kakauridze is blamed in the support of criminal traditions and the illegal purchase and possession of arms. At the trial, he said that he was relative of Noe Tsulaia and had called him just to ask how he was doing. Kakauridze denied the possession of any weapon.
Temur Gordadze is blamed in the purchase and possession of 7 grams of Marijuana. Attorney Otar Marjanishvili said that he could be released from the court room under a plea-bargain agreement but the judge thought it was too early to discuss the issue.

Koba Kurasbediani was accused in the purchase and consumption of a psychotropic substance and marijuana. Attorney Irina Adeishvili considered the investigator’s and the prosecutor’s accusations and still pressed for a 500 GEL administrative fine. The attorney submitted to the judge the testimonial of Koba Kurasbediani that was signed by his neighbors. Attorney Irina Adeishvili said the accused was not a danger to society and was not going to hide from the investigation. He did not try to escape during the search of his neighbor. Koba Kurasbediani’s case was an exception in which the prosecutor said there was not enough evidence against the detainee. Samtredia district prosecutor, Aleksandre Kokhreidze, said this lack of evidence was the result of insufficient time (48 hours) for the investigation.

Kakha Kenchoshvili was accused in the illegal purchase and possession of heroin. He was convicted for theft previously in Belorussia. As indicated by his drug-test he was under influence of the narcotic substance. Kenchoshvili pleaded guilty.

Shota Chichinadze was accused in hooliganism and the purchase and possession of a particularly large amount of the narcotic substance. He did not plead guilty to any accusations. However, Judge Darejan Kvaratskhelia sentenced him to a two-month pretrial detention.

Everything started as follows …

The report on the criminal liability of the accused Giorgi Chankseliani states: “In the evening of March 6, 2010, patrol-inspector of the Imereti regional department of the patrol police within the ministry of internal affairs, Aleksandre Kakabadze, heard noise near the gate of his house in the village of Kukhi in the Khoni district. He went outside and asked his neighbor, Shota Chavchanidze, to stop cursing. Shota Chavchanidze insulted him. However, additional people intervened in the incident and peace was restored. Brother-in-law of Aleksandre Kakbadze, Badri Ugulava, learned about the incident that same night. In order to avoid further complicated relations between the patrol policeman and Chavchanidze, Badri Ugulava got in touch with his brother Shalva Ugulava and Temur Berdzenishvili and met Shota Chavchanidze to reach an agreement. They explained their intentions to approimately 10-15 people at the place of criminal settlement of the conflict.

The attorneys are investigating  the meaning of “explanation”? Is it a synonym for “criminal explanation of the problem”? If this is found to be so, brothers Ugulavas and Temur Berdzenishvili are supporters of criminal traditions.

The first liability of Giorgi Chankseliani is detected here because it sates: “Drunken Giorgi Chankseliani decided to disrupt public order with violence and threats. In doing so, he disrespected the brothers Ugulavas and Temur Berdzenishvili. He started to beat them with the support of others.” The report also states that Berdzenishvili took a stick to defend himself which “accidentally” hit the head of Giorgi Chankseliani. The relatives of Chankesliani state that his injury did not heal for one week. On March 7, 2010, a conflict was criminally resolved in the village of Akhaldabiseuli in the Khoni district; Temur Berdzenishvili and brothers Ugulavas arrived in the village. “In order to settle the conflict peacefully, Temur Berdzenishvili took a broken automatic weapon to protect him.”

The attorneys asked at the trial why Berdzenishvili took the damaged automatic gun to settle the conflict. The attorney, Mikheil Liparidze, also questioned why the patrol-inspector, Aleksandre Kakabadze, failed to mention the incident of March 6, 2010, and did not report to the patrol police about the hooligan incident. It is also possible that he took part in the criminal settlement of the problem. Answers are also wanted as to why the brothers Ugulavas and Temur Berdzenishvili interfered in the incident connected with the patrol inspector. The attorney could not get answers to his questions at the trial on July 8. The judge clarified that the court was not entitled to discuss the details of guiltiness.

The parents of all nine detainees said that drugs and weapon were planted on their sons. “The policemen started the search officially without producing the search warrant. They called the neighbors only after they broke into the house through a locked door; the police had already done “its nasty job”,” said the parents.

One more additional detail is that the police discovered the weapon which was used by Temur Berdzenishvili in the village of Akhaldabiseuli during the criminal settlement of the problem during the search of his house. Temur Berdzenishvili was also detained but he was released after submitting his testimony. The automatic gun was found to not to be functioning. According to the unofficial information, the policemen of Khoni district damaged the automatic gun in order to justify Berdzenishvili. The brothers Ugulavas were also detained and the purpose of their detention is not known. It is fact that the brothers justified themselves in the exchange of “good testimony” and were released. Only those people that followed the criminal traditions are still in detention.