Davit_Kezerashvili

Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A prosecutor in France does not want to extradite Davit Kezerashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia, who was detained in France in October, 2013.

Georgia has charged the former minister with abuse of power and receiving more than USD 12 million in bribes and causing a loss of USD 50 million for the country.

Kezerashvili’s lawyer Shota Mindeli told Interpressnews that the prosecutor said at Thursday’s hearing that Kezerashvili should not be extradited to Georgia.

The court will make a final decision on February 27. On February 3, the court will decide whether to release him on bail or leave him in detention.

The lawyer said it was surprising that the French prosecutor, who defended the interests of the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, said in a summing statement that Kezerashvili should not be extradited.

“He explained why he shouldn’t be extradited: because the case is politically motivated and there are no enough evidence, Georgia’s request is absurd and feeble,” the lawyer said, adding that he assumes his client will not remain in detention until the verdict.

Georgia’s prosecutor, Irakli Dondoladze, who was also present at the hearing, says that Georgia provided all the information the court needed and the court made a reasonable decision to have one month to analyze the material before making a verdict.

Davit Kezerashvili was defense minister during the war between Georgia and Russia in August 2008.