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Ex-defense and economic development minister of Georgia detained

28 September 2007 10:55 (UTC +04:00)

Though cameraman of TV channel copied arrest moment to video tape, his camera was taken from him.
Okruashvili was detained at the headquarters of his new party, the Movement for a United Georgia and made no resistance to the officials of law-enforcement bodies. Several men were also detained along with him. The office has been surrounded at present and investigation group is working there.
Ex-defense minister was taken to Prosecutorâ€™s office at first, then to Interior Ministryâ€™s Department of Constitutional Security. Nika Gvaramia, deputy general prosecutor stated that Okruashvili is accused of money-laundering, abuse of power and extortion.
Lawyer Yekaterina Beseliya said that Mr Okruashvili denied all charges against him.
â€œOkruashvili has been detained as suspect. He denies all charges against him and states that he is a political prisoner,â€ she said.
Okruashvili was the closest associate of Mikhail Saakashvili who assumed his post in 2003 in Georgia. He was appointed defense minister of Georgia in December, 2004. But he was appointed economic development minister on November 10, 2006. But he resigned from his post on November 17. Mr. Saakashvili linked it with Okurashviliâ€™s wanting to continue his education abroad. Ex-minister held press conference and announced that he established opposition movement for a United Georgia 11 years later-on September 25, 2007. The arrest of Okruashvili comes two days after he launched the party â€“ Movement for United Georgia - and voiced series of serious accusations against President Saakashvili. Okruashvili stated that President Mikhail Saakashvili ordered him to murder businessmen Badri Paterkatsishvili. He accused the head of the state and his surrounding of taking over control various fields of business, as well as arm trade.

On September 25 the Revenues Service has launched a probe into alleged tax evasion by Okruashviliâ€™s party. The Revenues Service has claimed that the party, when purchasing its headquarters in downtown Tbilisi, declared that it was worth GEL 250,000, instead of USD 1.8 million, which the Service considers to be the real market price.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza commented on the issue and supported Georgian government. He said to Georgian journalists in New York that crime caused his arrest.
â€œI was just informed about the arrest of Irakli Okruashvili. If a man has committed a crime, he should be held accountable,â€ he said. This fact confirms that supremacy of law is about to be ensured in Georgia. /APA/