Judge Davit Kekenadze at the Zugdidi district court passed verdict on the people convicted for the extortion of particularly large amount of money. Consequently, Neli Naveriani and Mzevinar Japaridze will spend 4 years in prison, Tariel, Davit and Anzor Japaridzes will spend 4 years and 6 months in prison and sought Jambul Japaridze will have to serve 6 years in prison. www.presa.ge has already published a letter about the famous detention (http://www.presa.ge/new/?m=politics&AID=618).
The version of the investigation: Anzor Japaridze, head of the Mestia district department of sport, culture, monument protection, tourism and youth affairs Davit Japaridze, chief engineer of the Mestia district of the JSC “Energo-Pro Georgia” Tariel Japaridze and member of the Mestia municipal board Neli Naveriani were extorting 70 000 GEL from Canadian investor for the support in the reconstruction of the former tourist base in Mestia.
According to the presa.ge, there was expectation that the detainees would be released based on plea-agreement but it did not happen. This version was grounded by the fact that defense side always managed to postpone the court hearings based on grounded or ungrounded reasons.
It was clear, that the attorneys used the tactic of prolonging the procedures and assured the detainees and their family members that they tried to reach some agreement with the prosecutor’s office. The attorneys acted very weird after the court process too when Neli Orjonikidze and Mzia Kasrashvili refused the journalists to make any comments. An attorney of Neli Naveriani, representative of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association Revaz Topuria also avoided interviews with media.
The attorney of Tariel and Anzor Japaridzes – Tandila Jologua – made a scandalous statement for media: “Why was this process political? Politics does not have anything to do with this case. Kekenadze passed verdict in accordance to the Procedural Code. In his place, I would have reduced the imprisonment at three months for them….but anyway it was the minimum punishment for them.”
“There are all proves in the case materials that they committed crime. My clients pleaded guilty and regret their behavior. They do not have criminal record and more than one thousand people signed the request for plea-agreement; but the prosecutor said they could not sign plea-agreement with them at this moment. It means, the prosecutor appreciated their confession and regretting. In many cases, the plea-agreements were signed at the Appeal Court…”
Unlike the attorneys, the member of the Georgian Party Kakha Mikaia evaluated the verdict as a political decision. “Neli Naveriani was sacrificed to the controversy between Gorozia (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regional governor) and Akhalia (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Prosecutor). Naveriani was one of the most active political persons in Svaneti region who fought against Saakashvili’s regime. The accusation against her was fabricated on political grounds. It was farce of the prosecutor Roland Akhalaia. He made the accused people to plead guilty and promised the attorneys to sign plea-agreement with them but later he deceived them,” Mikaia said.
The Kutaisi Appeal Court will clarify whether the regional prosecutor will keep his promise and sign plea-agreement with the convicted people and if the expectation of the attorneys will come true; the appeal will be submitted to the Appeal Court in near future.
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