GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST - Before his arrest, Georgia's ex-Defence Minister Okruashvili accused President Saakashvili of serious crimes. He dropped the allegations before being released on bail. Do these events say anything about Georgia's democracy?
Notification. Thank you for visiting our Forum pages. We always appreciate your thoughts, but please note that Russia Today reserves the right to edit, exclude or paraphrase any messages. Please be polite - rudeness won't be accepted. Also keep in mind that it takes some time for your posts to appear in the threads.
IP       October 12, 2007, 19:30
I beleive the situation within georgian politics/power is a total mess and nobody wants to disclose each other. Or they will lose a lot more than their job.
Judges could also be corrupt, therefore the possibility of a fair trial is fairly bleak. In order to divert the attetion of the west from thier reality, Georgia seems to keep acusing Russia of constantly invading it.
oleg       October 12, 2007, 02:19
It says nothing.This is just a person unhappy because he lost his job.You first need hard evidence before you make comments about a person.
Sevodnya_Net       October 11, 2007, 14:11
Sam,

I didn't say Okruashvili necessarily WAS the only witness. Just saying that IF he was, and the president really was corrupt himself, then he'd leave well alone. That was my point.

The charges made by Okruashvili are much more serious than "mere" corruption. They allege murder and conspiracy to murder. So it's hardly a question of two old partners in crime falling out and one accusing the other of what he himself was also guilty of.

Don't forget also, that he hasn't been "let off" - only bailed. He still has to face trial for corruption himself, which doesn't suggest to me any sort of deal.
sam       October 10, 2007, 21:17
Sevo,How do you know they are not true?
no one else backing the claim? that does not mean a thing.Last person to open his mouth got arrested.
The fact that the arrest came so fast after the accusation speaks for it self.So they both knew of each others dipping into state pockets and said nothing until they stopped being friends.Really nice.As for the bail,well 6million is little for an corrupt high official.he may not need backers.The only way that country will step forward is to kick out this kind of people and create its own identity.
Sevodnya_Net       October 10, 2007, 16:37
If I was a wicked Mikheil Saakashvili and I knew that my defence minister had some compromising information on me I think I'd get my retaliation in first. I wouldn't wait for him to go on Georgian TV to spill the beans. I certainly wouldn't take the bizarre course of pursuing charges of corruption against a man who can ruin me by exposing my "crimes" to the public.

No one else has come forward to back up his claims, which either means that they are unlikely to be true (they aren't), or it points to Mr O being the chief or only witness to them.

Okruashvili seems to have wealthy backers who are prepared to stand his bail, so that won't be a problem for him.
sam       October 10, 2007, 09:39
Says a lot about the state of affairs in Georgia.
He drops the charges and bail organised without his lawyer even knowing LOL
sad very sad
I wonder what the deal was his pocket or his life
IP       October 10, 2007, 02:44
What kind of minister could afford to bail himself out for $6 million? I bet considering his salary in Georgia this would be highly unlikely. And why accuse the president of really serious crimes and drop them afterwards? These actions do not give Okruashvili much credit as Sarkashvili's opponent.
Norman       October 9, 2007, 19:50
Considering the crises in Georgia and the Ukraine, they should not be accusing President Putin and Russia of abuse and anti-democratic incidents.