Police Officer Giorgi Sibashvili Is Associated with Other Scandals too

Nino Korashvili, Information Center of Kakheti

“The most beautiful woman is mine,” inspector-investigator of the Kakheti regional department of the MIA Giorgi Sibashvili posted this status on his profile in the social network “Odnoklasniki.ru” before the incident on January 31.

Reportedly, on January 31, Gurjaani office of the MIA arrested Sopiko Nikolashvili, 20, former journalist of the newspaper Kakhetis Khma. The prosecutor’s office charged her for the attempt of premeditated murder of Giorgi Sibashvili, 23, and illegal carriage of guns. Sopiko Nikolashvili said in her testimony that she wanted to kill Giorgi Sibashvili for revenge. The accused said, three months before the January 31 incident Giorgi Sibashvili abused her. Her lawyers allege Sopiko Nikolashvili made her first testimony through breaching the law because the investigator interrogated her without lawyer despite multiple requests of the detainee to invite a lawyer.

It is not first scandalous fact which is connected with Giorgi Sibashvili. The ICK archive stores information about 2009 incident. In summer of 2009 police officer Giorgi Sabashvili broke a head of a waitress in the Gurjaani based restaurant. “The witnesses told the ICK that the drunken police officer and his friends quarreled; the former threatened the people in the restaurant with gun. Witnesses claim Sibashvili broke a head of a waitress during the clash. The injured woman was placed in the district hospital. A criminal case was launched under the charge of a body injury but the prosecutor’s office did not detain anybody. Prosecutor Gela Lazashvili claimed the suspected person was not a police officer,” ICK reported.

On February 6, ICK published first part of journalistic survey on Sopiko Nikolashvili’s case. Afterwards, the ICK was provided with additional information that about 2 years ago, parents of a young girl from Gurjaani district village sued Giorgi Sibashvili but nobody investigated the fact. The respondent told the ICK that soon the girl’s father died because of tragedy. Neither the girl nor her family members contacted the ICK. The Information Center of Kakheti checked the information among their neighbors. They confirmed the information about the incident but nobody spoke about details.

ICK called Giorgi Sibashvili but he did not comment on the issue.

Giorgi Sibashvili is a victim according to the materials of Sopiko Nikolashvili’s case. He still works on the position of an inspector-investigator at the Kakheti regional department of the MIA.

Lawyers Request Resignation of Sibashvilis

Sopo Nikolashvili’s lawyer Mamuka Nozadze requested resignation of Giorgi and Gocha Sibashvilis. He has already petitioned to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.

“I lodged a petition to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office yesterday. We request resignation of Giorgi Sibashvili, who still keeps position of the inspector-investigator at the MIA Kakheti regional department, until the investigation finishes. We also request the Prosecutor’s Office to launch a criminal case against him under the charge of provocation of the crime and rape. Besides that, we request resignation of his father Gocha Sibashvili from the position of deputy chief police officer of Gurjaani district. Sopiko Nikolashvili’s case is still investigated by the Gurjaani district police. We also request to remove the case from the Kakheti based law enforcement bodies and to start investigation against investigator Marina Potskhverashvili and deputy chief police officer Ilia Otarashvili who breached Sopiko Nikolashvili’s right to defense,” Mamuka Nozadze told the ICK.

The lawyer also responded to the statement of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia which stated that Sopiko Nikolashvili’s case does not have Top Secret status.

“After you [ICK] spread information that Sopiko Nikolashvili’s case was made Top Secret, a serious noise started and the prosecutor’s office surrendered. They groundlessly claim that they intend to protect private life of the accused. However, they were the first to public Nikolashvili’s testimony by TV-Companies Rustavi 2 and Imedi. Nikolashvili was compelled to make a testimony through violation of the law because despite her request the investigators did not invite a lawyer during the interrogation.  Sopiko decided to make the information about rape public and why does the prosecutor’s office bother about it? I could not speak about this fact unless Sopiko permitted me. As soon as she has opportunity, she will also speak about it,” Mamuka Nozadze said.

The lawyer added that his client has also sent petitions with equal requests to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.

“We expect the Prosecutor’s Office to reply to us on Monday. Unless they respond to our lawful requirements, we will have another argument to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights,” the lawyer said.