81 Year-old Man is Judged for Police Scrap-iron Business

Gurjaani district court is discussing the case of Giorgi Mchedlishvili, the inhabitant of Dedoplistskaro district. The prosecution blames 81 year-old man in stealing the five-tone iron tank. But the blamed person is accusing the former officials of local police in illegal scrap-iron business. According to him the investigator misled him to sign the confession testimony. “I am a veteran of the war. I have lived the whole life frankly and I do not want to die under the name of thief” – says 81 year-old man facing 6 years of imprisonment. He is asking the human rights organizations for help. 

According to the conclusion in the criminal case led by the prosecution, “on December 11, 2004, Giorgi Mchedlishvili robbed 62 meters of rail and 57 wood sleepers from Dedoplistskaro railway, that was the possession of Dedoplistskaro local government.  He also attempted to conduct robbery on January 16, 2005. namely he was trying to rob the 5 tone weigh of heating tank from Dedoplistskaro oil service department.”

Criminal care was launched against Giorgi Mchedlishvili under the second item of the article 177 of the Georgian criminal code. District court released him under the police control.

“I have not stolen anything. I have a land near the oil service department. So, the representatives of this organization asked me to look after the destroyed basement when I used to be in my garden. On December 11, 2004 when going to my garden I noticed on the road the irons from the basement prepared for taking away. So, I tried to move them a bit and then was intending to inform the owner about it when getting back home, but, suddenly police appeared. They detained me and took me to the police department. They were forcing to confess in robbery, but I did not. Despite that, the case was sent to the court. When the judge saw me being so disable and poor, sentenced me under police control and released me. Before that the investigators were threatening me with detention as I had not confessed in the crime. During the investigation process, Aleksandre Gvedashvili, the investigator of Dedoplistskaro district police misled me to sign the testimony, which I had not read. The testimony was written by him where I was confessing in the blame. When I have learned it, my son wrote the complaint, but police officials were so much involved in scrap-iron business, that nobody took any attention to my appeal. Actually, the oil basement was robbed by the former head of police Gela Jaliashvili, his deputy Noshrevan Natroshvili and others. The law enforcements had their own iron reception centres registered on other’s names. In this centres they used to receive stolen irons as well. Jaliashvili and others were fired a bit later. But they are not punished yet. Probably higher officials were backing them”- says Giorgi Mchedlishvili.

Before sending to the court, the district prosecution office sent the case back for the additional investigation.

“The preliminary investigation was not complete. The requirements of the article 18 of the Georgian Criminal Code ware violated, that obliges the investigator to find out everything about the evidences and the issue of other’s participation in the crime. That’s why the case is sent back to the additional investigation. In addition to other circumstances, it was not clear how did Giorgi Mchedlishvili manage to steal such heavy things without anybody’s assistance”- mentions Gocha Jankarashvili, the district prosecutor.

Despite the fact, according to the case data, the investigator did not fulfill the requirement of the prosecutor.

“If the investigator wrote that Giorgi Mchedlishvili could not rob the irons because they were very heavy for him, then my father would not be plead guilty. They would not do it because we are urging that the mentioned robbery as well as more others were organized by the police officials. So that, police was stealing iron and detaining innocent people to show that the cases are revealed” – mentioned Ketevan Mchedlishvili, daughter of the accused person.

The court proceeding of Giorgi Mchedlishvili was postponed for the fifth time because of the absence of the prosecutor.

“Giorgi Mchedlishvili confessed himself to be guilty during the preliminary investigation process. So, it must be found out at the court proceeding how realhis testimony is . As he mentions, the investigator Gvedashvili misled him to sign the confession testimony. It should be mentioned that he is 81 years old. He did not have an attorney during the preliminary investigation process and it seams that law enforcers took their opportunity. it was obligatory to assign an attorney to him, because he is disable, old, and ill man and could not defend his own interests”- they state at Human Rights Centre.

“As for the court discussion, we can’t yet reach to hold the proceeding. I think the prosecution has failed. 81 year-old man who had been operated twice and can hardly walk alone, would not be able to take five tone tank”- says the attorney Maguli Gvaladze.

Regarding the case of Mchedlishvili, they comment neither at Dedoplistskaro nor at district prosecution office.
Former police officials, who are blamed for illegal scrap-iron business by Mchedlishvili, do not want to speak about the accusations either.

Mchedlishvili thinks that the prosecution is waiting for his death. “Probably they think that I am an old man and will die soon and they will be able to close the case. I do not want to die as a criminal. That’s why I ask for help”- says Giorgi Mchedlishvili.

According to Gurjaani regional court, it is not decided when the next proceeding will be held.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti