Guram Svanidze, 28, who self-inflicted a gunshot wound in the head at the "Mental Health and Drug Addiction Prevention Center" on August 20, died in the clinic. Svanidze underwent an emergency operation at the Caucasus Medical Center and was on artificial respiration, but the doctors could not save him.
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On August 22, the Special Investigative Service arrested 24-year-old Valeri Gozalishvili, escort officer of the 3rd Division of the Main Department of Escort and Special Events of the Penitentiary Service, on charges of official indifference.
"Our investigation established that on August 18, 2022, from the Special Penitentiary Service No. 8 institution – the accused was transferred to the LLC "Mental Health and Drug Addiction Prevention Center" located on Kavtaradze Street, who, considering his psycho-emotional condition, needed appropriate treatment. Accordingly, the prisoner was placed in medical room No. 308, located on the 3rd floor of the mentioned centre, where he was continuously monitored by electronic means.
On August 20, 2022, at 09:31, in the corridor on the 3rd floor of the "Mental Health and Drug Addiction Prevention Center", where prisoners with mental health problems were housed in medical rooms, the escort officer of the Special Penitentiary Service's Escort and Special Events Main Division, official - He was moving with a staff weapon without the protection of the norm of prudence. Moreover, in addition to the above, the said officer left the prisoner in the corridor from the ward without visual supervision, for whom he should have been instructed to enter the medical room of his placement and to leave the placement space only if necessary, with the permission of the staff of the penitentiary service.
As a result of the officer's negligent action, the prisoner sneaked up on him and took out a service firearm from a holster in the trouser belt, using which he fired three shots, including one of which caused a gunshot wound to the head and fell into a comatose state.
The Special Investigative Service arrested the escort officer of the Special Penitentiary Service for committing a crime under Article 342, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which means the official's improper performance of his duties due to his negligent attitude towards him, which caused severe consequences," the Special Investigative Service said. Bacho Kvaratskhelia, head of the division of the investigative department. The investigative service also released a video recording of the incident.
The court sentenced the accused officer to prison as a preventive measure. If found guilty, he faces 2 to 5 years in prison.
"All I can say is I sincerely regret what happened. It's just that when we were changing, I couldn't imagine that he was outside. I didn't notice Guram Svanidze. I couldn't see it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stood with my back; I wouldn't have come close with the gun. "I put myself and my job in danger, and of course, I put the prisoner in such a situation," the accused said during the trial.
According to Guram Svanidze's lawyer Zurab Rostiashvili, the police arrested Svanidze for non-payment of 250 GEL: "He filled the tank and forgot to pay, or he did it intentionally, God knows." According to the rule, the judge should not have arrested him. We asked for bail."
