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Saakashvili Opponent in German Jail
The German prosecutor's office reported yesterday that former Georgian defense minister and member of the For a United Georgia Party Irakly Okruashvili was arrested in Berlin on Tuesday at the request of Georgian authorities via Interpol. A decision on his extradition will be made within 40 days, after more detailed material describing the case against Okruashvili is received from Georgia.
The Georgian prosecutor General's office has confirmed that it will seek the extradition of Okruashvili. members of his party say he may be granted political asylum. They also say that his influence in the Georgian presidential election campaign has been neutralized.
Another opponent of Georgian presidential candidate Mikheil Saakashvili, businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, has been rejected as a candidate for parliament member by the country's central election commission. Georgian CEC chairman Levan Tarkhnishvili told journalists that there were inaccuracies in his documents. The name of his representative in the elections was not indicated, and the documents were drawn up for “Arkady Patarkatsishvili,” not “Badri Patarkatsishvili.” The erstwhile candidate explained that Arkady is his given name, although he is better known as Badri. In the end, a compromise was found, and Patarkatsishvili will run for office.
Patarkatsishvili and his Our Georgia Party have experienced other unpleasantness of late as well. MP and party member Merab Khurtsidze was severely beaten on the street near his home Monday night. In addition, the National Bank of Georgia placed Patarkatsishvili's Standard Bank under temporary administration on Tuesday due to problems with liquidity. The bank was subject to a search and, according to bank managers, many of its clients have gotten telephone calls from government authorities forcefully advising them to close their accounts.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 29, 2007
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