Aunt Is Seized of Flat Because of Niece’s Debts

The government granted Medea Khokhashvili with flat as she was victim of earthquake. She lives in the flat with her two children but now her family will remain homeless because of the debts taken by Medea Khokhashvili’s niece.

Tsira Korinteli, the niece of Khokhashvili, incurred in debt of certain Irina Kareli. As Korinteli had debts of some other people, she sold her flat to pay the money. Since Irina Kareli could not get her 900 USD back she applied to her neighbor, Korinteli’s aunt and demanded her to pay the debt of the niece.

Khokhashvili is demanded to empty her flat. However she cannot understand why she is being evicted from her own house while she does not owe any money to anybody. The argument on the situation started in 1994.

Medea Khokhashvili: “At that time the city was governed by armed formations. Kareli got in touch with Jemal Romelashvili, Temur Namichaishvili and other members of the Mkhedrioni Armed Unit who broke into my house. They made me go to Notary and sign a warrant according to which Irina Kareli could manage my property. As those people threatened me with death I signed the warrant. On the same day I applied to Amiran Nozadze, that-time Gori Regional Prosecutor regarding the fact. They started the investigation on the case and former Prosecutor Bondo Vatiashvili, who is now the chairman of the Gori District Court, was put in charge of the case. However, those armed formations had great influence on Prosecutor’s office and investigation could not succeed. Nevertheless I managed to abolish the warrant enacted at the Notary with the support of the Prosecutor’s Office.”

Khokhashvili recalled that afterwards, Irina Kareli attacked her family together with other militants several times. They demanded them to empty the house.
 
“In the street they put chain on my neck in public and ordered to sign the document on being Kareli’s debtor whom I was giving my flat. Then they took me to Notary again where I was to transfer the documents on my flat to Irina Kareli. According to those documents, I sold my flat to Kareli for 160 million kupons. In fact nobody paid me the money. Afterwards, in 1995 Irina Kareli sold my flat to certain Marika Eshmakurashvili for 335 million kupons,” said Khokhashvili.

According to the Statistics Department within the Georgian Ministry of Economical Development, 335 million kupons equaled to 273 USD at that time. If we take into consideration that the house was three-storied building, it is strange how Jareli could sell it for 273 USD only.

Irina Kareli applied to the court against Khokhashvili and demanded her debt back; thought the real debtor of Kareli was Khokhashvili’s niece, Korinteli. The courts of all instances made decisions in Khokhashvil’s favor. At every court hearing Korinteli stated that she had borrowed money from Kareli and not her aunt.

Kareli managed to abolish the decision of the Supreme Court. She applied to the court to cancel the decision that was already put in force. The reason for abolishment was her absence at court hearings. Based on the argument, Dali Khelaia, the judge for the Supreme Court canceled her initial verdict.

Khokhashvili claims that the accuser side, Irina Kareli, attended the court hearings and consequently the judge passed the verdict.

Medea Khokhashvili is still applying to the court but cannot render the justice. She did not have a lawyer who could protect her during case discussion and it became the reason for her problems.

Khokhashvili demands to start repeated investigation on the case. In December of 2004 she applied to the Prosecutor’s Office against Irina Kareli however Ia Mefarishvili, Gori District prosecutor, made resolution on January 26 2005 on “the refusal to launch criminal investigation on the case” because the case material did not include facts of criminal crime.

Khokhashvili, being unable to protect her rights properly because of lack of money, appealed to the Gori District Court a year later, in January 26 2006. On February 14 2006 the court refused her to cancel the verdict. The most interesting point in the case is that Giorgi Mirotadze, Gori District Judge, discussed the question on abolishment the verdict and on February 14 he made final decision on it. However, Mirotadze was not in power at that moment because according to the Georgian President’s direction dated by February 10, Mirotadze was resigned from his position.

Khokhashvili appealed against the verdict at the Investigation Collegium within the Appeal Court; however she was refused to discuss the question there either. The reason was expired term for appealing against the prosecutor’s resolution.

Now Khokhashvili has appealed to the prosecutor General’s Office and Ministry of Justice and she hopes that will soon render the justice. The woman is demanding to investigate the case again.

Thea Tedliashvili, Gori