MosNews A court in Batumi, the capital of <NOBR>Georgia</NOBR>’s internal republic of Ajaria, has put the ex-leader of the republic, Aslan Abashidze, on the wanted list. The court granted a request of the Georgian Prosecutor General’s office.
Abashidze is charged with power abuse, exceeding his authority and theft of state property. The ex-leader was accused of having stolen 98 million lari ($47 million), blowing up bridges over the Choloki river, and the organization of illegal armed groups.
Abashidze was removed from office in May 2004 and fled to Moscow where he was welcomed by the mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, a friend of his.
The former leader’s lawyer, Shalva Shavgulidze, quoted by the PRIME-TASS news agency, said Abashidze had an immunity guarantee from Georgia’s president. “After the prosecutors’ request, this guarantee has become mere words,” he said. “The prosecutors set the president’s promises at naught, or the president has changed his mind himself. In both cases, I consider it unfair on the part of the country’s authorities.”
In October the European Court on Human Rights accepted the lawsuit on the legality of Abashidze’s property confiscation by the Georgian authorities. After his dismissal, Abashidze’s family lost houses, enterprises and cars, to the sum of about $100 million. His other lawyer, Iosif Baratashvili, said the property was confiscated with violations in the law. The opposition thinks the property was divided up among Georgia’s top officials. http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/12/05/abashidze.shtml
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