Georgian Ex-Defense Minister's Trial Opens

It's been slammed as a show trial by government critics, while being touted as proof of the rule of law by government supporters. Former Georgian defense minister Irakli Okruashvili's trial opened in Tbilisi on November 16, but the accused was not present.

Tbilisi City Court Judge Giorgi Shavliashvili approved a prosecution petition that would have placed Okruashvili, now free on bail, back into official custody. The order could not be carried out because the ex-minister is believed to be in Germany. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Arrested on September 27 on charges of extortion, money laundering, abuse of office and negligence, Okruashvili, head of the opposition Movement for a United Georgia party, was released from custody on October 8 after recanting a string of earlier accusations against the government and President Mikheil Saakashvili, and pleading guilty as charged. A 10-million lari (about $6.06 million) bail was paid to secure his release. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

In a surprise twist, the prosecution on November 16 argued that Okruashvili's bail should be applicable to only two of the four charges against the former defense minister: money laundering and abuse of office. The detention order applies to the remaining two charges, extortion and negligence.

Defense lawyer Eka Beselia termed the prosecution petition "incomprehensible" and – in later remarks to reporters – "laughable."

Beselia also argued that the court had not allowed the defense adequate time to prepare for trial, claiming that Okruashvili had not received timely notification of the trial's start date. Judge Shavliashvili countered that repeated phone calls and text messages to Okruashvili by a court employee had not been returned. A defense request to postpone the trial was denied.

Okruashvili left Georgia officially for medical treatment on November 1, the eve of opposition demonstrations against President Saakashvili in Tbilisi. At the time, supporters claimed that he was forced to leave Georgia, but indicated that he would return to stand trial.

In remarks broadcast from Munich by independent television station Imedi, the ex-minister later took back his guilty plea and stood by his earlier accusations against the Saakashvili administration. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Beselia showed reporters a handwritten fax from Okruashvili in which he repeated his plea retraction. It was not submitted in evidence.

The trial is scheduled to resume on November 19.