Georgia, Tbilisi, August 1 /Trend, N. Kirtzkhalia/
On Thursday, all accused persons, who were charged together with the former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia of inhumane treatment and illegal imprisonment, were released by the Tbilisi City Court in the courtroom.
The former head of the Joint Staff of Georgian Armed Forces Giorgi Kalandadze, former commander of the Fourth Infantry Brigade Zurab Shamatava, Sergeant Alexander Gorgadze, as well as Merab Kikabidze, Manuchar Daraselia, Georgi Kintsurashvili and the ex-head of Department on Execution of Punishments Gaga Mkurnalidze were released.
The charges were related to an episode that happened in October 2011. According to investigation claims, Bacho Akhalai, when he was serving as the Defence Minister, verbally and physically offended six servicemen and hit one serviceman with a knife handle in the head while in his office in the presence of Giorgi Kalandadze and Zurab Shamatava.
After this, the soldiers were transferred to the Vaziani military base, where the Fourth Brigade of Georgia's Defence Ministry was based. The soldiers were again subjected to verbal and physical insults while on the parade ground.
The court acquitted Akhalia of one more charge. According to accusations, Akhalaia forced a citizen to give an expensive car as a gift to Georgia's Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance.
Akhalia will remain in prison, despite the acquittal judgment, because there remain two episodes to be reviewed by the Tbilisi City Court - the case of a prison riot in 2006 and the torture of commandos of the Georgian Interior Ministry. In accordance with these accusations, the preventive measure in the form of pre-trial detention was defined for the ex-Minister.