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Rati Bregadze Talks About Georgia[a]s European Perspective with the President of the European Union Cooperation Authority (Eurojust) in the Field of Criminal Law

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thuesday, 27 September , 2022
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Rati Bregadze Talks About Georgia's European Perspective with the President of the European Union Cooperation Authority (Eurojust) in the Field of Criminal Law

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze spoke today about the priority of cooperation with Eurojust and EU countries during the meeting with Eurojust President, Ladislav Hamran.

The Minister drew attention to the excellent cooperation between Georgia and EU member states in the field of extradition and criminal law.

At the meeting, it was emphasized that strong sectoral cooperation helps the country in the process of European integration, and hope was expressed that after receiving the perspective of the European Union, the process will end positively with the granting of candidate status to Georgia in the near future.

In addition, at the meeting, the parties talked about the possibility of training and work exchange programs between agencies.

Rati Bregadze met Ladislav Hamran at the Ministry of Justice. Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili also attended the meeting.

For information: Eurojust is the European Union's body for cooperation in the field of criminal justice. Its main activity is the coordination of the cooperation of EU member states in criminal cases, including non-EU partner states in the process of European integration. The agreement between Georgia and Eurojust was signed in 2019.

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Strasbourg Court Confirms Davit Kezerashvili’s Guilt in Embezzling Georgian Army Funds, Rejects Claims of Political Persecution

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has issued its decision in the case of Davit Kezerashvili v. Georgia. At a briefing, Justice Minister Anri Okhanashvili discussed the ruling, which upheld the verdict against Kezerashvili.

“The Court concluded that, while serving as Defense Minister shortly before the August 2008 war, Davit Kezerashvili embezzled €5,060,000 (approximately 15 million GEL at today's exchange rate) intended for the Georgian army. It also determined there was no political persecution involved in his prosecution. The Supreme Court of Georgia's verdict finding Kezerashvili guilty was deemed well-founded, and no violation of the presumption of innocence was found,” Okhanashvili stated.

Okhanashvili outlined the fraudulent activities carried out by Kezerashvili:

"During his tenure as Defense Minister, Kezerashvili unlawfully signed a fictitious agreement with an offshore company in a single day to provide combat training for the Georgian army. This agreement bypassed the General Staff of the Defense Forces. In reality, no training occurred, and the €5,060,000 allocated for the Georgian army was deliberately misappropriated."

Anri Okhanashvili emphasized that the Court also dismissed Kezerashvili’s demand for €15,000 in moral damages. Kezerashvili, who enriched himself by defrauding the Georgian army, sought additional compensation for moral damage. The Strasbourg Court firmly rejected this claim. It confirmed the seriousness of Kezerashvili’s crime and upheld the Supreme Court of Georgia's ruling as lawful.

The Justice Minister congratulated the Georgian state and armed forces on their success in the European Court and acknowledged those who defended Georgia’s interests:


“I congratulate the Georgian state, army, and people on this significant victory. I extend my gratitude to the Ministry of Justice staff and the Prosecutor’s Office for their dedicated work. We now look forward to seeing how our European partners, particularly those who previously characterized Kezerashvili as a media advocate, respond to this decision affirming his guilt,” Okhanashvili remarked.
05.12.2024
05.12.2024