The Sighnaghi District Court has granted bail of 2000 GEL to Vusal Kaibov, a member of the Strong Georgia coalition, as a preventive measure. Kaibov was arrested two days ago by police in the village of Yormughanlo, Sagarejo. He is charged with the illegal purchase and possession of a hunting rifle and 59 cartridges. Kaibov pleads not guilty, claiming that he is being persecuted due to his recent political activity.
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On September 10, the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested Vusal Kaibov under Article 236, Part 3 of the Criminal Code, which involves the illegal acquisition and possession of firearms and carries a sentence of 3 to 6 years in prison. The Ministry announced that Sagarejo police officers seized two firearms and 59 cartridges during a search of Kaibov's residence. According to the defense, an expert report revealed that one weapon was unusable, while the other had never been seen by Kaibov.
"The police arrived and informed me that they had operational information suggesting there were drugs and illegal weapons in my house. This is, of course, absurd. They found two rusted rifles that we had never seen before.
I believe my arrest is solely connected to my recent political activities. There is no other explanation for the warrantless search. Local leaders repeatedly offered me to join their side, which I refused, explaining that I had already made my political choice. In response, I was detained," Kaibov said on September 11, after being released from detention.
The prosecutor's office reclassified the case, charging Vusal Kaibov under Article 236, Part 1. This article refers to a lesser crime, involving the illegal purchase and storage of a hunting rifle or ammunition for such a weapon. The penalties range from a fine or house arrest for six months to two years to imprisonment for up to two years.
"Since his arrest, he has pleaded not guilty to all charges. It is significant that the prosecutor's office was forced to reclassify the charges due to insufficient evidence and the expert’s report. The claim of purchasing or possessing any weapon cannot be substantiated by such dubious means," said lawyer Archil Chavchanidze.
Based on a statement of prosecutor Mikheil Kuprashvili, the investigation is ongoing.
