Main witness in high-profile murder case of minors detained
The Georgian Interior Ministry says that a main witness of the murder case of two minors in 2017 was detained earlier today. Photo: ambebi.ge.
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A main witness in the high-profile murder case of two minors in Tbilisi in 2017, Mikheil Kalandia, has been detained earlier today on charges of the murder of one of the minors, David Saralidze.
The detention came after the verdict of Tbilisi Court of Appeals yesterday, which sent another minor, G.J., to 11 years and three months in prison for the premeditated murder of Saralidze.
However, the court said that G.J. was not alone and “other individuals” helped him to inflict multiple injuries to Saralidze in December 2017, during a school brawl on Khorava Street in central Tbilisi.
David Saralidze and Levan Dadunashvili, the minors killed in a school brawl in 2017. Photo: reginfo.
The Tbilisi City Court last year failed to say who killed Saralidze and sentenced G.J. to nine years in prison “for attempted murder,” while another detainee, G.B, also a minor, was sentenced for the murder of Levan Dadunashvili, a boy killed with Saralidze.
The City Court verdict in 2018 led to rallies and the resignation of Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze, with father of David Saralidze, Zaza Saralidze, stating that the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s office “was hiding the killers of his son.”
He frequently named former official of the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office Mirza Subeliani, “who did his best to conceal the details of the incident, as his relative, Mikheil Kalandia, was involved in the case.”
Kalandia changed his testimony several times during the investigation.
In 2018 the case was handed to the Interior Ministry [from the Prosecutor’s Office] for investigation.
Zaza Saralidze stated yesterday that he had a feeling that justice would be restored.
After the verdict of Tbilisi City Court, the Georgian Interior Ministry managed to obtain the evidence confirming Kalandia’s participation in the murder of Saralidze, committed by a group,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated today.
Zara Saralidze said yesterday, when G.J. was sentenced for murder of his son, that the “justice was partially restored,” and he was waiting for the detention of all those involved in the incident.
I will fight to the end for this,” Saralidze said.
He stated today that "justice is actually restored."
Kalandia's family speaks about the "political influence" on the "illegal detention."
They say that the detainee is innocent and there is no genuine evidence proving his guilt.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the case involving minors is “specific and hard to investigate.”
Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani called the case “as one of the most complicated in the history of independent Georgia,” as witnesses, who were minors mostly, changed their testimonies several times, “concealing one another.”
However, she said that state agencies were working to solve the case.
10 individuals have been charged with different offences in the case: participation, giving false testimony and not reporting a crime among them.
Tbilisi Court of Appeals ruled earlier today that a 16-year-old David Saralidze, in a high-profile Khorava street murder case of two minors in 2017, was killed by another minor, G.J., with other unidentified individuals in central Tbilisi.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has released a statement on the audio recordings broadcast by Rustavi 2 TV channel yesterday related to the high-profile Khorava Street Murder case, in which a currently detained former official of the prosecutor’s office says that he has “serious compromising materials” against the Georgian Dream leadership.
A pupil of Public School No. 51 identified as D.G. has been charged today for giving false testimony in court, concerning the high-profile murder case of two teenage boys in central Tbilisi last year.
The investigation of the high profile murder case of two teenagers will be carried out by the Ministry of Internal affairs as the court verdict failed to identify the actual killer of 16-year-old David Saralidze, who died from multiple knife wounds.
The main witness in the high-profile murder case in Tbilisi in December 2017, Mikheil Kalandia, has been officially charged with the murder of one of the minors, David Saralidze. Kalandia has been charged for intentional murder of a miner committed by a group of persons in aggravating circumstances.
One of the main witnesses in the high-profile murder case of two schoolboys in 2017 in a school brawl, who was also a minor that time, Mikheil Kalandia has been sent to pre-trial detention. Kalandia was charged with premediated murder of David Saralidze by a group, in aggravating circumstances yesterday.
Zurab Jgarkava, who was wanted in a high-profile murder case of a 35-year-old David Mumladze, has been detained, the Georgian Interior Ministry reports.
Tbilisi City Court has found Mikheil Kalandia, age 20, guilty of the premeditated murder of David Saralidze in the high-profile murder case of two minors in Tbilisi in a school brawl back in 2017.