Witnesses Are Afraid of Telling the Truth

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi

The detention of Paata Kaikatsishvili has witnesses but they are afraid to come out and tell the truth. Paata is the relative of Zurab Noghaideli, who is the former Georgian Prime Minister. Kaikatsishvili was detained on December 27, 2008. Based on official investigation materials “the police discovered 0,255 grams of heroine in Kaikatsishvili’s right sock.” The detained says that drugs were planted to him. The witnesses of arrest operation say the same thing. However, only 4 witnesses were interrogated during the trial and all of them happened to be the police officers who were involved in arresting Kaikatsishvili.

 The Human Rights Center Batumi Office representatives spoke with several merchants of of Kobuleti bazaar who witnessed the detention of Paata Kaikatsishvili. However, it is clear that the lower court of first instance did not satisfy the motion of Kaikatsishvili’s attorney to have them legally questioned. Moreover, the attorney was not given the term prescribed by law to present the witnesses before the court.

The merchants all say the same:

“I feel very sorry for him but I am afraid. Maybe someone will hurt my son if I come out and testify in his favor.”

“Purchase is my only source of income. I know that I must say the truth but I am afraid. They are the rulers of the country and they can harm me if they want to…”

The Kobuleti District bazaar is not situated in a building. It is functioning as an open air market. Dariko Amaghlobeli and Eter Ananidze are the Kobuleti bazaar merchants. They saw the police detaining Kaikatsishvili.

Eter Ananidze: “I was standing at my counter when I saw a car stopping in ten meters. A woman and a young man came out of the car. When the young man was closing the door the police officers came to him. I heard the young man shouting; do not plant drugs on me. Later I leaned that the young man’s last name was Kaikatsishvili. I did not feel well after witnessing the ordeal.”

Darike Amaghlobeli: “A boy was caught and put into the car. He was kept in the car for 10 minutes. The police started searching him after having taken him out of the car. The boy was shouting, help me, I have nothing; do not plant anything to me… I felt very sorry for him. The police prevented us from coming closer to the place. We followed the police instructions and left the place. We could see nothing from distance. He was surrounded by the police.”

Other merchants from Kobuleti bazaar say that they saw everything but they are afraid to say anything out loud.