Giorgi Gviniashvili: “Government Is Not Solving Barbare Rapaliantsi’s Case on Purpose”

Mikheil Mamalashvili, Kakheti

MP Giorgi Gviniashvili from National Movement states that government of Georgia is not solving murder case of 10-month-old Barbare Rapaliantsi on purpose, who was found dead in Kolagi village a day before parliamentary elections of October 1, 2012. Garibashvili spoke about the case during the press-conference in the press-club of the Information Center of Kakheti.

“Several hours before elections we were blamed in suffocating children in wine clay-pots [Kvevri]. People went to election boxes under similar stress. They speculated with the death of 10-month-old baby to come to government. On that ground, Georgian Dream is not interested in the solution of this case,” Gviniashvili said.

Giorgi Gviniashvili spoke about Barbare Rapaliantsi’s case during the press-conference in the press-club of the Information Center of Kakheti.

Giorgi Gviniashvili said they still hoped that Rapaliantsi’s case would be solved but he is getting more and more convinced that government is not going to solve it.

“Ten months have passed since they are in government and this case is still uninvestigated. Until now I hoped everything would get clear but eventually I am getting more and more convinced that they are not solving this case on purpose because you all remember what happened in Kolagi and all around the country at the night to the Election Day. Georgian Dream’s activists, Georgian Dream in general and current deputy minister of culture Manana Berikashvili, who was my contestant in the parliamentary elections in Gurjaani district, publicly accused me of the murder of infant. On that night, other members of the Georgian Dream arrived in the village, Irakli Alasania was there too though he was majoritarian candidate in Zugdidi and somehow managed to arrive in Gurjaani at 2:00 am. Manana Berikashvili accused me and Georgian Dream accused the United National Movement of suffocating children in kvevri. When you tell voters that National Movement’s members kill children, of course they will not think fine about us. Unfortunately, many people believed them,” Giorgi Gviniashvili said.

Gviniashvili said he would have unconditionally defeated Manana Berikashvili in parliamentary elections and he did not need any efforts for that.

“It is illogical; I did not need any conspirators against Manana Berikashvili. You all know who was more likely to win the elections. Manana Berikashvili could not defeat me in the elections in Gurjaani. If you ask her about the locations of local villages, she would not answer you because she is not aware about local problems whilst I live only with Gurjaani district. Let us say that I went crazy, became a monster and started killing children – what would I have gained from the murder of this child? One or two votes? How could I benefit from it? Or the family has such a huge influence in the village that they could convince neighbors to vote for me? It is absurd,” Gviniashvili noted.

He said he is ready to answer any questions of the investigation any time and anywhere.

“Not only about Rapaliantis’s case but I have never refused the investigation to answer there cases about other cases too. I am ready to answer their questions anytime and anywhere. Unfortunately, I do not know much about this case and I will not be an useful witness for them but anyway I am ready,” the MP said.

Giorgi Gviniashvili spoke about video-footage which demonstrates that Manana Berikashvili’s cousin Soso Berikashvili removed roof from the Kvevri, detects the child in it and then puts the cover back. Gviniashvili said he cannot understand the behavior of Soso Berikashvili.

“I really do not know the role of Soso Berikashvili in this case. I cannot breach presumption of innocence and I do not have any ground to claim anything but as a person, I cannot understand him why he put the cover back to the kvekvri when he saw the child in it. Even dolphin has instinct to rescue a person seeing drowning in the sea. Not only 10-month-old child, but everybody would have rushed to rescue an animal having detected suffocating in the pot. I cannot understand how he could cover the pot again and wait for the TV-Companies to come and record it,” Giorgi Gviniashvili said.

10-month-old Barbare Rapaliantsi was found dead in the pot full of water in the marani next to bedroom after half-an-hour search in Kolagi village, Gurjaani district on September 30, 2012. In the same evening, Manana Berikashvili accused Giorgi Gviniashvili of the child’s murder and requested his imprisonment.

New minister of interior Irakli Garibashvili publicly promised several times to investigate the crime. Moreover, on November 29, 2012, Garibashvili said the real picture would be presented in three weeks but the case has not been solved even ten months after the tragedy.