Witnesses Questioned about Death of Officer Tetradze at the Trial on Megis Kardava’s Case

Salome Chkheidze

Forensic expert was questioned at the trial on the former head of military police Megis Kardava and other accused in the same case. The expert said the deceased officer Sergo Tetradze had trauma on the head and broken nose that could cause his death. 

Director of the independent forensic expertise center Vektor Aleksandre Gejadze was interrogated in the case on the death of Officer Sergo Tetradze. The witness presented results of the expertise conducted in December of 2012 after exhumation.

“As a result of the examination we discovered broken nose-bone and fracture of the bulkhead. We also observed trauma of the skull. Discovered fracture of the nose could cause only brain concussion but it is impossible to estimate the level of the trauma and its causes because long time had passed after the death,” the medical expert said.

The witness added that since it was impossible to estimate the causes of the death, the conclusion of the Levan Samkharauli Forensic Expertise Bureau stating that Tetradze died of acute insufficiency of blood-circulation system, cannot be trustworthy allegation. Gejadze said the visual examination of the body showed that the person had injuries.

According to the investigation, officers of the Defense Ministry arrested the war veteran, Officer Sergo Tetradze in September of 2011 for espionage. Six days later the family was notified that the detainee had died of heart attack in Gldani Prison. 

At that period, Bacho Akhalaia was Minister of Defense and Megis Kardava was head of military police. According to the investigation, during four days of detention, different officials of the military police and penitentiary department abused, degraded and tortured Tetradze several times to get his confession statement. Investigation alleges that on September 23, Sergo Tetradze died in the process of abuse. 

At the trial, prosecutor requested to partly close the process because witness Sisauri was to be interrogated who allegedly personally participated in the torture and insult of the Officer Sergo Tetradze. Currently, he is mentioned as a convicted in the case. Judge Bugianishvili satisfied the solicitation and the session continued behind the close door. 

Convicted Victor Chargazia was also questioned at the trial. He said on September 23, 2011 Kacheishvili ordered him to write a statement to confirm that Tetradze was sick. 

“At night of September 23, I was taken out of the quarantine cell and taken to the front-office of the first building where I met Kacheishvili, Patsatsia and other persons. Kacheishvili asked me to write that I was in the same cell as Tetradze when he felt sick, then we called doctor and he was taken to the jail hospital. I wrote the statement and signed it but in fact it was false,” Chargazia said during interrogation.