Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI2542
2007-10-09 11:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

OKRUASHVILI PLEADS GUILTY AND RECANTS ALLEGATIONS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM GG 
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OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #2542/01 2821138
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O 091138Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7865
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 002542 

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DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM GG
SUBJECT: OKRUASHVILI PLEADS GUILTY AND RECANTS ALLEGATIONS

REF: A. TBILISI 2532

B. TBILISI 2415

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 002542

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM GG
SUBJECT: OKRUASHVILI PLEADS GUILTY AND RECANTS ALLEGATIONS

REF: A. TBILISI 2532

B. TBILISI 2415

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: A video-taped testimony by Irakli
Okruashvili, confessing to charges of extortion and criminal
negligence and recanting his accusations against President
Saakashvili, was broadcast on Georgian television October 8.
Presidential Advisor Giga Bokeria said Okruashvili may have
realized there was substantial evidence against him on
serious charges and therefore he testified in order to get
out on bail and reduce the penalties. Shortly after
Okruashvili's television appearance, President Saakashvili
told the Ambassador that Okruashvili testified of his own
volition. Nevertheless, opposition leaders immediately
raised suspicions that the statement was obtained by
coercion. The General Prosecutor's Office released
Okruashvili early morning October 9 on GEL 10 million (USD 6
million) bail, an unprecedented amount in Georgia. The
opposition released a joint statement vowing to continue
their campaign for early parliamentary elections. The ruling
party challenged businessman and government critic Badri
Patarkatsishvili, an Okruashvili supporter, to enter the
political arena through normal means, not by "plotting
intrigues." End Summary.

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Okruashvili Recants Charges Against President; Pleads Guilty
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In an October 8 conversation with the Ambassador, Giga
Bokeria, an MP and Saakashvili insider, said that Okruashvili
admitted guilt to several of the charges against him and
recanted his allegations against the president entirely on
his own initiative. Bokeria said it was likely Okruashvili
knew substantial evidence against him exists and that he
faces the likelihood of a long imprisonment, and he hoped to
get the penalties reduced. President Saakashvili himself
told the Ambassador on October 8 that Okruashvili recognized
that many of his colleagues were likely to accept plea
bargains and testify against him. His best option left was

to make a plea and get out of jail on bail. Bokeria said
Okruashvili, along with his new lawyer Giorgi Pauashvili (who
has replaced Eka Beselia),negotiated the terms of bail and
went through each charge individually, indicating how he
would plead.


3. (SBU) On October 8 the General Prosecutor's Office
released a videotape of the confession which was broadcast on
television, in which Okruashvili says the accusations he
leveled at the President and other top level officials were
not true. He said they were made to "gain political
dividends." Okruashvili recanted all of his allegations
against Saakashvili and in particular said that Saakashvili
did not order him to "get rid of" Badri Patarkatsishvili.
Okruashvili said he held meetings in Tbilisi and abroad with
Badri Patarkatsishvili from time to time and the statement
that the president ordered Patarkatsishvili "liquidated" was
meant to help Patarkatsishvili "gain political dividends" as
well. Okruashvili said he kept Patarkatsishvili informed of
his political plans and thought Patarkatsishvili-owned Imedi
TV would support his political efforts. He said he knew
nothing about PM Zhvania's death except the official version.
He also said his allegation that Saakashvili ordered
Interior Minister Merabishvili and the ex-chief of the
Interior Ministry's Department for Constitutional Security
Dato Akhalaia to obtain compromising material against the
clergy "was not true." Okruashvili said accusations of
corruption against Merabishvili and Giga Bokeria were false.
He recanted other accusations as well, saying he was trying
to discredit the president and had no evidence Saakashvili
secretly owns shares in the Georgian Railway, a local mobile

SIPDIS
phone company and Rustavi 2 TV as he had earlier alleged. He
also recanted an earlier allegation that while serving as
Interior Minister in 2004, he had arrested Saakashvili's
uncle, Temur Alasania, for extortion.


4. (SBU) Addressing the criminal charges the government has
brought against him, Okruashvili, said that in collusion with
the President's ex-Parliamentary Secretary Dimitri
Kitoshvili, he forced former lawmaker Jemal Svanidze into
selling his shares in Geocell for USD 250,000. This was
significantly below the market price of the shares, which was
at least USD 10 million, according to the General
Prosecutor's Office. Okruashvili also pleaded guilty to
criminal negligence, saying he failed to properly control
some agencies under his supervision while he was Defense
Minister. Okruashvili did not address the charges of money
laundering and misuse of power related to the purchase of his
party headquarters. (Note: A foreign advisor to the

TBILISI 00002542 002 OF 002


Ministry of Finance told us October 9 that the Financial
Monitoring Service is claiming it has a clear chain of
possession of the cash used to buy the property linked to
Ministry of Defense procurements.) Okruashvili was released
overnight October 9 after the City Court ruled to release him
on GEL 10 million (USD 6 million) bail (an unprecedented
amount in Georgia),posted in cash and real estate.
Industrialist MP Zurab Tkhemaladze commented that if
Okruashvili could afford this amount, it was further
confirmation he was involved in corruption.

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Opposition and Government Reaction to Okruashvili's Testimony
-------------- --------------


5. (U) Opposition politicians immediately alleged
Okruashvili's testimony was coerced. David Zurabishvili,
opposition lawmaker from the Democratic Front party, said the
confession reminded him of those made by dissidents in Soviet
times, in particular recalling the public about-face of
former president Zviad Gamsakhurdia when he was a prominent
dissident under the Soviet system. Zviad Dzidziguri,
Conservative Party leader, said "some people are unable to
resist pressure exerted on them," referring to Okruashvili's
testimony. People's Party leader Koba Davitashvili said
Okruashvili's political destruction was an act of "political
murder" carried out by the president and "his gang."


6. (C) On the other hand. National Movement MPs rejected
allegations of coercion. MP Levan Bezhashvili said
Okruashvili is not the kind of person who yields to any kind
of pressure. MP Nino Kalandadze said Okruashvili's testimony
came as a surprise, because "heroes do not look like this."
Speaker of the Parliament Nino Burjanadze hailed the General
Prosecutor's Office for debunking the "groundless
accusations" leveled by Okruashvili at the President. She
also said it was an important decision to release Okruashvili
on bail so he can "make the same statements outside of jail."
Bokeria told the Ambassador that allegations that the
confession was coerced are preposterous. He said Okruashvili
will be at home and can freely change his story or recant his
confession, but if he does, he will have to answer to
everyone who saw the confession on television. Bokeria added
that despite uncertainties, the confession and bail show that
the country abides by the rule of law.

-------------- --------------
Opposition Vows to Continue Campaign Against Government
-------------- --------------


7. (U) Following Okruashvili's recantation, a group of ten
opposition parties said at a joint news conference they
remain committed to their plans to persuade authorities to
hold parliamentary elections in April. MP Kakha Kukava from
the Conservative Party said the latest turn of events does
not mean an end to the campaign calling for early elections
and culminating in a mass protest in Tbilisi on November 2.
He added that resistance will continue and the goals and
demands remain unchanged.


8. (U) Prior to the release of Okruashvili's statement on
October 6, opposition leaders held an anti-government protest
in Gurjaani, in eastern Kakheti. They screened a film by
investigative reporter Vakhtang Komakhidze questioning the
official version of events surrounding PM Zhvania's death.
The screening in downtown Tbilisi was attended by several
thousand people. The film was preceded by a brief protest
rally where opposition leaders demanded authorities reveal
"the truth" surrounding Zhvania's death.

--------------
Bokeria Challenges Patarkatsishvili
--------------


9. (U) National Movement Secretary General Davit Kirkitadze
said October 8 there is sufficient evidence to prove the
opposition is united by Patarkatsishvili, and claimed
Patarkatsishvili is the one who "plotted this conspiracy."
Following the release of Okruashvili's testimony, Giga
Bokeria made a statement aimed at Patarkatsishvili, saying it
is "unacceptable to plot intrigues and slander using others,
and to hide behind their backs." He then challenged
Patarkatsishvili to come out and participate in political
"competition" and openly gain support, if he has political
ambitions. Patarkatsishvili reportedly left Georgia for
London immediately following the release of Okruashvili's
testimony, but said in a public statement that he would
return.
TEFFT