Project coordinator for resettling Boers to Georgia detained

Georgian law enforcers have detained Djuba Maruashvili, the coordinator of the project for resettling South African Boers to Georgia.

On May 26, Mr Maruashvili was to be appointed the Honorary Consul of Georgia to South Africa; however, on May 25 he was detained. Media reported the fact on June 8.

Investigators suspect him of extortion, namely, in two episodes, when he, according to the investigation, extorted from the farmers from the Republic of South Africa (RSA) 5000 laris each for allocation of land plots in Georgia. The detention was undertaken based on the complaints of the suffered Boers, the "Georgia Online" reports.

The detention was confirmed by the spokesman of the Tbilisi City Court, who added that the trial will be held on June 11. Currently, Maruashvili is kept at the Gldani Prison, the "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.

So far, there are no comments of Maruashvili or his representatives in the context of the accusations.

The project to resettle farmers from the RSA to Georgia was launched in early 2011, when the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs of Georgia signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Agrarian Union of the RSA. Then, the project manager Djuba Maruashvili said that South-African farmers would invest into the Georgia's agriculture, first of all, into sheep breeding.