Former Deputy Blames Akhalaia in Verbal Assault of Riot Police Officers

Salome Chkheidze

Former deputy minister Shalva Janashvili was questioned at the trial on former minister of interior Bacho Akhalaia. Janashvili said that during one of the incidents Akhalaia verbally insulted a riot police officer.

Former deputy minister General Janashvili spoke about the incident that occurred in August-September of 2012. He said that on August 18 that-time deputy minister Nikoloz Dzimtseishvili called and asked him to come to the meeting with the Minister. 

“During our conversation with the Minister, we learned that seven employees of the first unit of the Department for Urgent Cases at MIA complained about previous government and supported former opposition parties. They instructed me to hold meeting in the first unit regarding this issue. I also learned that they had audio-recording of the conversations of two of those seven employees where their political affiliations were demonstrated. I wanted to listen to their audio-recording, what they were speaking about but the Minister did not give me the recording,” Janashvili said.

The General said an emergency situation was announced in the first unit of the MIA; Akhalaia also arrived there, gave him information about seven officers and warned to call them to the meeting by all means. Janashvili said that Akhalaia verbally insulted one of those seven employees during the session. The General said the minister told the following words to the officer Pantskalashvili: “What do you complain about? Why do you want to demote the commander?! Why are you chatting in the back? you penguin.”

Next day, officers of the first unit, including those seven people, were sent to the Ialguja military base for training. Janashvili said during interrogation that several weeks after the fact, rumors were spread that officers taken to the training were tortured.

“On September 20, when Akhalaia had already resigned, I was called to the Chancellery where I met Prime-Minister Merabishvili and interim Minister of Interior Ekaterine Zguladze. I reported to them about the information spread about the torture in Ialguji military base. Merabishvili ordered me to take officers back from the military base,” the witness said.

Janashvili ordered Soso Karchaidze, the deputy director of the Department for Emergency Affairs to take officers from the base. Karchaidze went to Ialguja on the same evening; soon he called him back and said the officers were not allowed to leave the base. Deputy minister said he informed Merabishvili about it and the latter instructed to change the head of training center and take people from there afterwards. Next day, Janashvili acted according to the received instructions and officers returned back to the first unit.

“Merabishvili and Zguladze met the boys next day after their arrival from Ialguja. Prime Minister apologized to them for creating similar problems for them, for not having taken proper care of them and had not paid attention to them. Then asked Zguladze to give monetary compensations to the boys in order to take medical treatment and have rest. After the rest they had to continue work in the usual regime,” Janashvili said.

The General clarified in reply to the defense side’s question that Merabishvili estimated the amount of compensation for the officers – seven officers received 10 000 lari each and other officers being in Ialguja training base 5 000 lari each.