Georgia's First Lady’s brother sent to jail

Mikheil Mgaloblishvili, the brother of Georgia’s First Lady, Maka Chichua, has been sentenced to 4 years in prison via a Tbilisi City Court ruling.

Mgaloblishvili was arrested in January by the police for the illegal procurement, storage and possession of firearms. On 13 January, Tbilisi City Court ordered a pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint.

Mgaloblishvili has a previous criminal record. He was released from prison a few years ago, after being pardoned by the president.  

Law-enforcement has also shown interest in other members of President’s Margvelashvili’s family on numerous occasions  

-President Margvelashvili’s son-in-law, Mindia Gogochuri, was summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office for interrogation in July last year. According to media reports, the matter concerned narcotics.

– The arrest of Mikheil Tatarashvili, a friend of President Margvelashvili’s son-in-law in March 2017, caused quite a scandal. The police seized 18 pills of Subutex (opioid), which, as the President’s family claimed, had been planted on him.

– After the incident, President Margevlashvili’s daughter, Anna Margvelashvili, has become more active on social media. She also participated in a political talk-show on Rustavi 2 TV, during which she claimed that she and other members of the President’s family had been continuously watched by security service officers.

– Ana Margvelashvili sharply criticized the government’s pursued drug policy. In her words, ‘planting’ narcotics by law-enforcement was a common practice in Georgia.

– The President’s daughter launched an anti-drug campaign on Facebook and even participated in a protest rally.

President Margevlashvili held a special briefing back in July last year, criticizing the government for persecuting him as well as his family members.

• Giorgi Margvelashvili assumed the post of Georgian President in 2014. The ruling Georgian Dream party as well as Bidzina Ivanishvili personally nominated him as a presidential candidate. However, shortly after being elected, he had a discord with the ex-Premier Ivanishvili on a number of issues. Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is viewed by many as the country’s actual ruler, told journalists that Giorgi Margvelashvili’s nomination for president was his ‘biggest mistake’. Since then, Margevalshvili has been constantly targeted by the ruling party’s attacks.