Lawyer: unclear whether intl arrest warrant will be issued for ex-Georgian president
TBILISI. July 28 (Interfax) - One of the lawyers of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday said it was unclear whether the Main Prosecutor's Office would issue an international arrest warrant for former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, whom it accuses of abuse of office.
"We haven't yet seen the records of the criminal proceedings against the ex-president, and what the prosecutor's office says in its statement cannot be called well-substantiated accusations," Otar Kakhidze said.
The Main Prosecutor's Office said in its statement that "a decision has been issued to charge Mikheil Saakashvili, [former prime minister and ex-interior minister] Vano Merabishvili, [former justice minister] Zurab Adeishvili, [former defense minister] David Kezerashvili, and [former Tbilisi mayor] Giorgi Ugulava with abuse of office."
The ex-officials were accused of the unlawful dispersal of an opposition rally in the center of Tbilisi on November 7, 2007, an illegal attempt to take over the Imedi television company, and "criminal appropriation" of tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili's property after the businessman's death.
One of the leaders of Saakashvili's United National Movement party, Giorgi Gabashvili, told a briefing on Monday that the accusations represented "political revenge" from former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and "the current government controlled by him."
"I'm sure that the charges against Saakashvili will have a very negative effect on Georgia's relations with its Western partners," Gabashvili said.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary majority leader hailed the criminal proceedings.
"The prosecution service had to react to the criminal actions of Saakashvili and his entourage, and I'm sure the prosecution service possesses sufficient incriminating evidence," Giorgi Volski told reporters.
