Blackmailer Police Officer Found

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

On November 29, newspaper Batumelebi found the person who tried to blackmail Tedo Jorbenadze, coordinator of the newspaper’s investigative team, on November 25, 2009 to cooperate with the Special Forces in the Batumi office of the MIA. The newspaper requests to punish him.

Davit Devnozashvili, born in 1971, lives in Dolidze Street # 26 in Tbilisi. Director of the newspaper “Batumelebi” Mzia Amaglobeli could recognize him when she visited Devnozashvili in his house on November 20 together with her colleagues.

Mzia Amaglobeli, director of the Newspaper “Batumelebi”: “He opened the door. I reminded him of myself and told him we had met in Batumi in the former building of security service. I told him I wanted to interview him about blackmailing Tedo Jorbenadze on November 25, 2009. I also told him the prosecutor’s office was looking for a blackmailer and it was he. As a result, he closed the door. Of course we could recognize him as that day we were together with Tedo Jorbenadze in the former building of the security service.

Afterwards we called patrol police in order to draw up a protocol on finding the sought perpetrator who had abused his power by blackmailing journalist Tedo Jorbenadze. The patrol police was arguing what to do during one hour; they even received over-phone consultations.”

According to Mzia Amaglobeli, after a long discussion, the patrol police officers approached her and told the administration confirmed with them that the investigation is under way on this particular case and they are watching the flat. “Despite our requests, the patrol police officers did not draw up a protocol and left the place.” Head of patrol police crew was Captain Khvicha Kirvalidze.

On November 26, 2009, newspaper Batumelebi appealed to the prosecutor’s office and requested to launch criminal case on the blackmail. The case has not been resolved for two years already and the Batumelebi could not receive a reply from the prosecutor’s office. “The prosecutor’s office could not find the people who summoned Tedo Jorbenadze to the Griboedov Street # 4 in Batumi on November 25 and blackmailed him. More precisely, Devnozashvili threatened Jorbenadze with spreading “degrading photos” about him unless he cooperated with them. We – editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Batumelebi” Eter Turadze and I were together with Tedo Jorbenadze in the building,” said Mzia Amaglobeli.

In December of 2009, investigation showed photos to Tedo Jorbenadze, Mzia Amaglobeli and Eter Turadze to recognize the perpetrator but there was not a photo of certain Mr. Dato among them. As a result of two-year independent journalistic investigation, the Batumelebi found Davit Devnozashvili.

“We petitioned to the prosecutor’s office several times and requested to inform us about ongoing investigation but in reply to our letters they responded that “due to investigation interests” they could not update us with the information. This morning we noted the prosecutor’s office that we had found Davit Devnozashvili,” said Mzia Amaglobeli.

Mzia Amaglobeli requests in the petition, which was also forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs: “1. to promptly send us copies all of those documents which are registered in the corresponding office of the MIA regarding the notice received from the Newspaper “Batumelebi” on November 20, 2011; 2. summon and interrogate us about the details from that day; 3. find the police officers who breached the law and impose corresponding sanctions on them.

When the investigation was “unsuccessfully” looking for certain Davit, the President of Georgia issued a decree #11/07/02  n July 11, 2011 and assigned the flat, 67, 17 sq meters, in Kakheti road # 36, Tbilisi to Davit Devnozashvili for 1 GEL.

On November 25, 2009, strangers stopped a journalist of the newspaper Batumelebi Tedo Jorbenadze in Batumi and introduced themselves as police officers. They requested the journalist to follow them to police station. Mzia Amaglobeli, Eter Turadze and Tedo Jorbenadze arrived at the station. However, Tedo Jorbenadze was taken aside where they started to psychologically oppress, blackmail and intimidate him (the strangers threatened him with publishing details of his personal life after what the society would have disliked him and he would lose a job). The police officers wanted to compel him to cooperate with them.

Photos by Netgazeti:
1)Captain Khvicha Kirvalidze and Mzia Amaglobeli  2)Davit Devnozashvili