Former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili detained in Georgia

In Kutaisi, Vano Merabishvili, the former Prime Minister of Georgia and the present Secretary General of the "United National Movement" was detained after being questioned at the Prosecutor's Office of Western Georgia. Together with him, Zurab Chiaberashvili, the former Minister of Public Health, Labour and Social Welfare, was detained.

As stated by the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation is conducted on two episodes of Merabishvili's corrupt actions.

The first one has to do, according to the Office, with illegal actions during the campaign before the parliamentary elections in October 2012, when Merabishvili, the then Prime Minister of Georgia, acting jointly with Chiaberashvili, hired over a thousand activists of the "United National Movement" (UNM). As a result, the funds that had been allocated for the state employment programme, namely, 5.2 million laris, were transferred to 22,000 people. They were registered as off-the-staff workers, but, according to the Prosecutor's Office, received money in return for the election campaign and vote in favour of the UNM.

The second episode refers to the appropriation by Merabishvili of a summer cottage belonging to the International Investment Company on the Black Sea coast in Kvariati. As stated by the Prosecutor's Office, in the period from 2009 to 2013, the former Premier used the house, with no legitimate grounds, against the will of the owner, by using threats and for free, making repairs thereof for the funds of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). As a result, the damage caused to the state totalled 158,000 laris.

According to investigators, the charges have been brought under three articles of the Criminal Code of Georgia. Prosecutors ask for Merabishvili's imprisonment. If he is found guilty, the former Prime Minister in under threat of 7-12 years of imprisonment.

The detention of the Secretary General of the "United National Movement" Vano Merabishvili was treated by party members as political persecution and personal decision of the current Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili, the "Georgia Online" reports.