On June 27, verdicts will be announced in the cases of opposition politicians Givi Targamadze and Nika Melia, leader of the "Coalition for Change," who are charged with failing to comply with the request of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.
Givi Targamadze’s court hearing is scheduled for 10:30 AM at Tbilisi City Court. Procedurally, Targamadze is expected to deliver his final statement today; however, it is still unknown whether he will exercise this right or even appear in court. After this, the judge will retire for deliberation before delivering the verdict.
As for Nika Melia, his case has also reached the stage of final statements. His position is already known—he does not intend to use this right or attend the hearing.
For reference, Givi Targamadze and Nika Melia are charged under Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which refers to “failure to comply with the request of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.” This offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year, and/or the deprivation of the right to hold office or engage in professional activity for up to three years.
Givi Targamadze was given bail in the amount of 10,000 GEL as a preventive measure, which he paid within the legally established timeframe.
As for Nika Melia, he was assigned bail of 50,000 GEL, which he did not pay within the required period. As a result, his bail was replaced with pretrial detention. If the judge delivers an acquittal or a non-custodial sentence in this case, Melia will still be unable to leave the penitentiary facility, as he has been remanded into custody in a separate case for contempt of court—specifically, for the incident of throwing water at Judge Irakli Shvangiradze.
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