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Three Georgian military officials detained for exceeding authority

Detainees are to be charged within 48 hours

TBILISI, November 7 (Itar-Tass) — Georgian Prosecutor General Archil Kbilashvili said head of the joint headquarters of the armed forces Georgy Kalandadze, brigade commander Zurab Shamatava and former Defense Ministry chief Bacho Akhalaya have been detained within the case over exceeding of authority.

Kbilashvili was speaking at a joint news conference with the justice minister.

"The investigator ascertained that in October 2011, Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaya /he occupied the post from August 2009 through June 2012 — eds Itar-Tass/, together with Georgy Kalandadze /who was deputy head of the joint headquarters at the time / and 4th brigade commander Zurab Shamatava, inflicted injuries on and verbally abused six servicemen. Akhalaya hit one of the servicemen on his head with the hilt of his knife," the prosecutor said.

Akhalaya then had these six servicemen transferred to Vaziani /suburban Tbilisi/ to the 4th brigade, where the same servicemen were physically and verbally abused again, in the briefing room in the presence of 20 to 30 persons.

Five victims have already testified, and the sixth is currently outside of the Georgia. "The servicemen's testimony would be made public shortly," Kbilashvili said.

The detainees are to be charged within 48 hours.

According to the Georgian law, this offense is punishable by five to eight years in prison.

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