Georgia: press digest
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 11:55:52 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Georgia: press digest
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: CIPDD <[email protected]>
Georgia: press digest
>From the moderator: The Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and
Development (CIPDD) issues "Annotated Daily Headlines of the Georgian
Press".
Text: Tamara Shamil
Translation: Guram Dumbadze
Editors: Emil Adelkhanov-Steinberg and Anneke Smit
The last issue is enclosed. Those subscribers who would like to
receive the digest on the permament basis, should apparently contact
the CIPDD directly at <[email protected]> (I am not aware of the
conditions for subscription).
Boris
---------
June 18, 1998
1. The Parties to Co-Operate in Developing Concrete Coercive
Mechanisms
On June 17, Eduard Shevardnadze held closed-door talks with Gen.
Sergey Korobko, C.-in-C. of the Russian Peacekeeping Force in
Abkhazia, and Gennady Ilyichov, a Russian envoy. According to the
President's press secretary, the chief issue for Shevardnadze is
whether the peacekeepers are ready to follow through the resolutions
on Abkhazia approved by the last CIS summit. Gen. Korobko must be
called to account for his failure to co-ordinate the implementation of
these documents with Tbilisi and Sukhumi.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" (Free Georgia) No. 155, June 18
2. Shevardnadze Going to Introduce the Office of Prime-Minister
At the June 17 governmental sitting Eduard Shevardnadze proposed the
creation of a cabinet of ministers: "The black economy and
overwhelming corruption place obstacles to the flow of foreign
investments into Georgia." The President believes that the executive
branch cannot be re-organised without purges. It may be assumed that
the Citizens' Union of Georgia, the ruling party, supports the
President's proposal: it requires the revision of the Constitution,
while any constitutional amendments have to be passed by a two-thirds
majority.
"Sakartvelos Gazeti" (Newspaper of Georgia) No. 22, June 18
3. MP Guram Sharadze's Son Found Dead in His Own Apartments: Suicide
or Murder?
The 33-year old son of Guram Sharadze, Chairman of the Parliamentary
Migration Committee, was found dead in his apartment yesterday at
11.00 a.m. He had been shot in the temple by a bullet from the pistol
found laying beside him. The police began their investigation
immediately. They suspect a suicide but do not rule out other
possibilities. The incident topped the headlines of all the Georgian
periodicals.
"Resonance" No. 163, June 18
4. Murman Omanidze on Incognito Visit to Batumi
Murman Omanidze, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of
Gamsakhurdia's government, arrived in Batumi on May 15 and has held
some talks with Adjarian authorities and businessmen. The Adjarian
interior minister says he knows nothing about Omanidze's visit,
although the latter has been wanted by the Procurator's Office of
Georgia since the Procurator's Office of Tatarstan (Russia) charged
him with oil fraud in 1996.
"Droni" No. 68, June 18
5. Conveyance of Prisoners to the Central Prison Hospital Poses a Lot
of Problems
The trial of Djaba Ioseliani, the leader of the outlawed Mkhedrioni
paramilitary, and his accomplices has been postponed because of the
illness of the defendants, Teimuraz Khachishvili. Despite acute pains,
he was not conveyed to hospital. Ioseliani himself also suffers from
health problems, but claims that there is no use in appealing for
hospitalisation as there would be no reaction.
"Sakartvelos Gazeti" No. 22, June 18
6. I Got a Concussion: They Beat My Head Most of All
At the Mkhedrioni trial Lado Kviraia, former commando of the Omega
unit of the State Security Ministry of Georgia, denies all the
evidence he gave during the investigation. He is charged with
illegally keeping and transporting weapons, infringement of traffic
regulations that resulted in an accident with casualties, and an
attempt upon the life of businessman Nugzar Shevardnadze (Mr
President's nephew). He says he was coerced into giving the evidence
by Dato Kakua and Zaza Peradze, who beat him and menaced members of
his family, at Investigation Ward #5 of the Interior Ministry.
Afterwards, Zura Kukhianidze, the investigator, recorded his evidence.
Now Kviraia denies that he and two other defendants, Gocha Bokhua and
Tornike Papidze, video-taped Nugzar Shevardnadze's office, in order to
carry out their plan together with Gela Gvritidze.
"Droni" No. 68, June 18
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