One More Accused Person Freed from the Courtroom at the Trial on Bachana Akhalaia’s Case

Salome Chkheidze

Davit Chubinidze, accused for the torture of seven riot police officers together with Bachana Akhalaia and six more people, was freed from the courtroom under bail. 

Sulkhan Kapanadze Lawyer of Davit Chubinidze, accused together with former minister of defense and minister of interior Bachana Akhalaia, raised solicitation to change preventive measure – pretrial imprisonment into bail. The lawyer said the judge’s decision on imposing pretrial imprisonment on Chubinidze was justified by possibility that he could influence defense side witnesses and hinder court proceedings. The lawyer said there is no threat of influence because all witnesses of the defense side were interrogated at the trial.

Prosecutor Shakro Zaalishvili did not agree the solicitation and said Chubinidze was aggressive during trials and he might run away to avoid the punishment.

Judge Davit Mgeliashvili satisfied the lawyer’s solicitation and freed Davit Chubinidze from pretrial detention under bail of 15 000 lari. One more accused person Aleksi Davitashvili was released based on the similar solicitation at the previous trial.

Kakha Bokuchava was questioned at the trial as a witness who worked in the department for emergency situation at the MIA in August of 2012. 

“On August 19, several officers of the first unit of the Department for Emergency Situations were taken to Ialguja training base to take rangers’ course and Davit Vekua ordered me to accompany them. We were travelling by two trucks and I was in one of them. There was tense situation in the trucks – people swore each other, quarreled and intimidated. One part of people wanted to physically assault the other and we were ordered to supervise them to prevent the incident. Having arrived at the Ialguja base, we informed local instructors about the controversy and suggested them to separate the soldiers,” Bokuchava said during the interrogation.

Witness Davit Melikidze also confirmed information about controversy between soldiers, who was also sent to the Ialguja training base by Davit Vekua to prevent incidents there.

Head of the second unit of the Department for Emergency Situations Giorgi Kobidze was questioned at the trial on July 24. He said he had received instruction to send seven officers to take ranger’s course at Ialguja base. “We selected instructors and sent them to the base next day. I also accompanied them and saw about 40 soldiers were brought to the base. They were divided into two groups. It is very difficult to train so many people together; particularly when there is some controversy between them. Later, I arrived at the base several times and there was ordinary situation there each time. As for the instructors I had sent there, Giorgashvili was called back four days later because he was appointed to the position of the sergeant of the battalion; Sutidze and Zangiev had to participate in the Rugby championship,” Giorgi Kobidze said.

Prosecutor Shakro Zaalishvili asked questions to the witness about the training program of the soldiers.

“As you mentioned, you prepared the training program. Could you tell us what kind of training exercises did you plan in it? Did you include swearing, physical assault, tying people by ropes, dragging, locking people in the abandoned building, accusing them in high treason, raping them by broom, stick… in that program?” 

Giorgi Kobaidze replied that the question was insulting and defense side protested it too. 

Bachana Akhalaia is accused of organizing torture of seven riot police officers in Ialguja military base when he occupied position of the minister of interior. Other people accused together with him – Davit Vekua, Mamuka Abashidze, Vladimer Zangiev, Robert Sutidze, Davit Giorgashvili, Aleksi Davitashvili and Davit Chubinidze are accused of torture and inhuman treatment.