Factory Watchman, Lost Property and Victim of Drug Planting

Kote Askurava, accused for having stolen equipment worth million of dollars from a factory formally owned by Aslan Abashidze (former head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic), was detained last week for drug-dealing. The family members of Askurava blame the law enforcers for arbitrary detention.

Last week, Askuravas’s house was searched by officers of the Adjara Special Operation Department on the basis of operative information. Based on gathered information, drug-dealer Askurava was storing a large amount of drugs and weapons in his home.  The operation was carried out at night by thirty disguised officers of the Special Operation Department (SOD). During the search, the law enforcers found a pill of Subotex in Askurava’s trouser pocket. Askurava’s mother, Marina Askurava, remarked that she was surprised when the law enforcers ceased searching after finding only that one pill of Subotex in her son’s pocket. “Everything was fraudulent. They planted drugs on my son. It is proved by the fact that as soon as they found the pill in Kote’s pocket the operation ceased. The disguised people insisted that there were a lot of drugs and weapons in the house. However, having found that pill, they just looked around and left the house without searching other rooms.”

Askurava family members insist that the officers from the SOD committed a crime and tried to arrest Askurava by planting a drug on him. The police were eager to arrest him. “My brother was a watchman for the factory “Aghordzineba M”. Officials from the police asserted that some equipment was stolen from the factory and they decided to blame Kote. They could not find any evidence against my brother and decided to arrest him by planting the drug on him,” claimed Kristine Askurava.

The wine factory “Aghordzineba M” began persecuting the Askuravas in September of last year. At that time police officials claimed that equipments worth million of dollars disappeared in the factory. The officials of the Security Department unofficially interrogated Askurava. Several days later, Kote and his brother Mamuka Askurava were called to the department.

Mamuka Askurava said that he was interrogated a second time because the police needed additional information from him. “Davit Kordzaia, the investigator demanded that I name the people who had stolen the equipment. He asked me questions about my brother. I could not give him any information and the investigator became furious. He beat me severely. He was beating me after every question and there were many questions.”

Mamuka Askurava was taken to the Traumatologic Hospital on the next day. Levan Kheladze, a doctor at the hospital, confirmed that the patient had a concussion.

The police launched an investigation concerning the beatings. Two months have passed but the investigation has not yet concluded. Although they have not found any evidence against Askurava, he is in pre-trial detention in Batumi’s prison # 3 for drug dealing.

Askurava’s family members claimed that he was threatened before detention.  If he pleaded guilty, he would be released, otherwise his brother would also be arrested.

Mamuka Askurava said that he was also threatened after his brother was detained. “They did not tell me directly, but hinted that if I did not confess, I would also be arrested and detained. They might also plant drugs on me in the near future.”

Kote Askurava informed the Public Defender’s representative in the Adjara region, Giorgi Charkviani about the situation. “The detainee told me that if he did not give the police information about the robbery in the factory, he and his relatives would also be arrested,” Charkviani said.

Law enforcers do not comment on the fact in the interest of investigation. They simply said that the drug-dealing had nothing to do with the thievery. 

Kote Askurava started working as a watchman in the factory in 2005. He received a monthly salary of 70 GEL. By that time, the factory was closed and sealed up by the financial police and ceased functioning. Askurava was to watch the closed factory. Starting his job, he was not told what was in the factory. The robbery was discovered when Kote was off duty. The door of the factory remains sealed up by the financial police.

The factory belonged to Aslan Abashidze’s family. In 2003, after the Rose Revolution, most of the Abashidze’s property was looted. After the revolution, the property of the factory was not protected properly. Marina Askurava doubts that the equipment had been stolen from the factory after it was sealed up.

Sofo Zhghenti, Batumi