“Everything was sealed on the spot. Therefore, talk about someone replacing something is just conspiracy theories,” said Irma Chkadua, the lawyer for Lasha Baslandze, in response to “InterpressNews” regarding the assumption by Shalva Tibua, the owner of the “Kvevri” restaurant, that the weapon seized by the investigation was replaced.

Chkadua explained that Baslandze provided the investigation with the information about what actually happened. According to the lawyer, if his guilt is established, he will not evade responsibility.

“He provided the investigation with the information about what happened. Lasha hasn’t hidden anything that’s visible in the footage. The investigation is ongoing, and whatever the investigation determines, if Lasha faces any punishment, he won’t run from it,” Chkadua stated.

Regarding the other side’s suspicion that the weapon Baslandze had was not a toy and was replaced, Chkadua categorically denies this.

“Everyone has the right to say something, but the police arrived immediately, and they know very well that no one left that area. How can I respond to their assumptions and suspicions when it’s clear that a shot was fired there, and it was fired by the person accompanying him [Shalva Tibua]. All kinds of ammunition have been seized, including their weapon and the one Lasha had.

I’ll say it again: everything was sealed on the spot, so talk about someone replacing something is just conspiracy theories. These days, there’s a narrative that Lasha is connected to someone—absolutely no one is involved. Lasha has his own reputation, and the incident that occurred was related to something personal and human, which is not up for discussion. Everyone knows that Lasha Baslandze is a person who tries to respect everyone. The ‘Kvevri’ is tied to his name, surname, and family. Naturally, this is not in dispute, so that day’s incident has no connection to anything else,” Chkadua stated.

When asked whether her client demanded that the restaurant owner transfer shares, Chkadua responded negatively.

“There’s no talk about any shares. This is a family business, funded by a bank loan. To this day, it’s backed by the property of Lasha’s mother, brother, and Lasha himself, and they are still servicing that loan with their secured assets. Let’s not get ahead of events; many details will become public later,” Chkadua stated.

She also denied the information that evidence, specifically video footage, was destroyed.

“Lasha had nothing to hide or erase. This person doesn’t hide anything; if he does something, he admits it,” Chkadua stated.

For reference, on September 6, there was a shooting and confrontation at the “Kvevri” restaurant. According to media footage, Lasha Baslandze, referred to by the defense as the restaurant’s former tenant, attacked Tibua with a weapon. According to Tibua’s lawyer, Baslandze, as a tenant, failed to fulfill his obligations, leading the owner to terminate his contract. This angered Baslandze, who then attacked the restaurant owner.

Later, Baslandze commented that he had a conflict with his “partner due to his unworthy behavior.” According to Baslandze, he insulted Tibua but did not cause physical harm. He claimed that during the altercation, “Tibua’s friend or security employee fired a shot in the air with some kind of modified weapon.”

The investigation is ongoing under Article 236 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the illegal acquisition, storage, or carrying of a weapon.

As a reminder, according to Tamar Abesadze, the lawyer for the “Kvevri” owner, Shalva Tibua suspects that the seized weapon is not the one used in the assault against him and that it was replaced. Abesadze also stated that the “weapon” was “accidentally” found under a table, noting that “a toy pistol doesn’t need to be hidden.”