Trial on Anzor Kokoladze Postponed Because of Prosecutor

News Agency “Pirveli”

Trial on businessman Anzor Kokoladze, the founder of the Elite Electronics, was postponed for May 1 because the prosecutor was not prepared for the court hearing.

On April 19, Badri Kochlamazashvili was the judge at the trial. Lawyers Lili Gelashvili and Maia Khutsishvili represented Anzor Kokoladze at the court.

The defense side and prosecutor had to make conclusion speech at the trial. The prosecutor said he was not ready to make the conclusion speech and requested the judge to postpone the trial for two weeks. The judge satisfied his solicitation and scheduled the trial at 12:00 pm on May 1.

Kokoladze’s lawyer Maia Khutsishvili clarified that according to the new accusation against prisoner Kokoladze, he was blamed in swindle – Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia and in legalization of illegal money – Article 134 of the Criminal Code of Georgia in December 2011 when he was already in prison.

“The motive of the accusation is the following: they allege that having left the Elite Electronics Kokoladze founded Techno Boom with the money which he had taken from the Elite Electronics. The prosecutor alleges Kokoladze had debts to the Elite Electronics and consequently he should not have had money to launch a new company. However, there are official loan agreements in case materials which shows who invested money in the Techno Boom. The prosecutor also studied those agreements but they claim it is not loan but Anzor Kokoladze’s personal money. 54 witnesses were to be interrogated in this case but the court questioned only 14 of them. The Court did not think it was necessary to interrogate other 40 people who proved that they had personally invested money in the Techno Boom. Kokoladze’s cousins Malkhaz and Tengiz Nargevadze, brother-in-law Archil Dumbadze and one more accused Archil Lobzhanidze are detainees in this case,” Khutsishvili said.

Besides that, Kokoladze’s second lawyer Lili Gelashvili said in several days they will apply to the Strasbourg Court with the suit against another criminal case in which Kokoladze was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment of 7 years and half.

Investigation department of the Ministry of Finances arrested founder and former manager of the Elite Electronics Anzor Kokoladze in August of 2010 for illegal deals and unexecuted obligations before the state in 2008-2009. On April 21, 2010 the Tbilisi City Court imposed imprisonment of 7 years and 6 months on him.

On May 7, 2010 TBC Bank via TBC Broker purchased Anzor Kokoladze’s 55% in the Elite Electronics for 116 000 GEL in secret. The founder and former manager of the Company requested to annul this purchase and to restitute his legal rights at the court. According to unofficial information, Kokoladze was imprisoned because of his struggle for his shares.

Later, the Court passed verdict in favor of the TBC Bank.