In Georgia, ex-minister and founder of opposition TV channel David Kezerashvili sentenced in absentia to five years in prison

The Supreme Court of Georgia passed a conviction in absentia to the founder of the opposition Formula TV channel David Kezerashvili. Previously, he served as head of the defense ministry in the government formed under President Mikheil Saakashvili.

David Kezerashvili was sentenced to five years in prison. Previously, the court twice acquitted him, informs “Georgia Online”.

David Kezerashvili was accused of embezzlement. According to the prosecutor’s office, in 2008 he transferred more than 5 million lari (more than $ 1.6 million) to one of the offshore companies, ostensibly to conduct a course of military exercises in Georgia, but the maneuvers never took place. Investigators qualified his act as a waste of budget funds.

The opposition assesses the Supreme Court’s decision as a political reprisal ordered by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The opposition recalled the words of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, when he said that “Kezerashvili must be dealt with.” Two months later, the court began to consider the case, the news agency notes.

The same opinion is shared by the convict’s lawyer Georgy Gelkhauri. “Of course, this process has nothing to do with justice. This is just a verdict that was passed after certain threats from the authorities against Mr. Kezerashvili. Moreover, Kezerashvili is the owner of the Formula TV channel. The authorities do not like the channel. This is how they punish the media, ”- said the defender quoted by TASS.

The lawyer clarified that back in 2017, the Tbilisi City Court, and then in 2018, the Court of Appeal acquitted the former official in the embezzlement case.

David Kezerashvili was the Minister of Defense of Georgia in 2006-2008. After hostilities in August 2008, in which the Georgian army was defeated by Russian troops who supported the separatists in South Ossetia, Kezerashvili left his post of minister and went into business.

In 2012, the Georgian Dream coalition came to power in the country. Then, seven criminal cases were initiated against the former head of the Ministry of Defense. He was accused of embezzlement, extortion, money laundering, abuse of power. The last charge was related to the criminal case of dispersing the protest action on November 7, 2007. In addition, Kezerashvili was suspected of seizing Imedi TV and other property of businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili.

Currently David Kezerashvili is outside Georgia. At home, he was put on the wanted list.