Georgia’s ex-Prime Minister arrested on corruption charges

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Georgian prime minister Ivane Merabishvili was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, May 21 in what the opposition said was a witch-hunt against members of the ousted administration of President Mikheil Saakashvili, according to Reuters.

Ex-healthcare minister Zurab Chiaberashvili, now a governor of Kakheti region in eastern Georgia, was also arrested after police questioned him and Merabishvili.

Dozens of former officials, including a former interior minister, have been arrested since billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili led an opposition coalition to election victory over Saakashvili's long-ruling party last October.

They have been charged with abuse of power, corruption, illegal confinement or illegally obtaining personal information.

Western countries have aired concerns that the new government has used selective justice and political persecution against political opponents in the ex-Soviet republic, a pivot of geopolitical rivalry between the West and Russia.

Chiaberashvili and Merabishvili were questioned in connection with an investigation into alleged misuse of 5.2 million lari ($3.2 million) in public funds spent on the former ruling party's election campaign last year.

Saakashvili likened the case to the arrest and jailing in Ukraine of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on abuse-of-office charges.

A court will decide within 48 hours after the arrest whether to let Chiaberashvili and Merabishvili go on bail or remand them in custody.