Opposition politician Givi Targamadze has been found guilty of failing to comply with a summons from the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.
Judge Nino Galustashvili sentenced him to seven months in prison and barred him from holding public office for two years.
Targamadze did not attend the court hearing and declined to make a final statement.
He had been summoned to appear before the Commission on April 3 to provide an explanation but failed to do so. He was later charged under Article 349 of the Criminal Code and released on 10,000 GEL bail, which he paid on time.
The article covers refusal to comply with a parliamentary commission’s request and carries a penalty of a fine, up to one year of imprisonment, and/or disqualification from public or professional duties for up to three years.
Targamadze has been arrested after arriving voluntarily at the Vake-Saburtalo police station, where he was handcuffed at the entrance. His arrest followed a court decision ordering his detention for failing to comply with a summons from the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.
Before entering the station, Targamadze addressed journalists, saying the court’s decision did not surprise him. “There is a verdict — someone has to take me there [to prison], and these people will,” he stated.
Targamadze was previously found guilty of refusing to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission on April 3. Although the court had initially set bail at 10,000 GEL — which he paid on time — Judge Nino Galustashvili later sentenced him to seven months in prison and barred him from holding public office for two years. He did not attend the court hearing and declined to make a final statement.
