“I am the only person responsible for the murder of Levan Jangveladze. There was no planning or consultation, and I learned about the existence of the Mikadze brothers from investigators,” said Gela Udzilauri, who has been convicted of the contract and profit-motivated killing of businessman Levan Jangveladze, during a court hearing.

He testified in the case of the Mikadze brothers and Giorgi Jokhadze, appearing as a defense witness.

According to Udzilauri, he does not know the Mikadze brothers at all, who are accused of ordering the murder.

As for another defendant, fugitive Giorgi Jokhadze, Udzilauri said he knows him, as they worked together for three years.

The convict stated that investigators had offered him to testify against the Mikadze brothers and name them as those who ordered and organized the murder, in exchange for receiving certain benefits.

Udzilauri recalled only two individuals, whom he identified as senior police official Ioseb Sigua and investigator Giorgi Avalishvili.

He also claimed that investigators asked him to testify against Giorgi Jokhadze.

According to Udzilauri, he killed Levan Jangveladze based on a personal motive; however, he said he had no prior intention and that “there was no profit-motivated killing.”

“Before answering the questions, I want to address the court — this case has only one perpetrator, and that is me. I do not know the Mikadze brothers, have never met them, and do not even know who they are.

I met Levan Jangveladze only once — in 2022, via Skype, regarding a Bitcoin mining facility. Criminals had seized an illegal mining operation from my friend Sergey Bondarenko, and I spoke to Levan about it. As a Georgian speaking to another Georgian, I asked him to leave some part of it for my friend…

I knew that Levan rarely came to Georgia. During one phone call, Sergey Bondarenko told me that one of Levan’s friends had died and that he would be on Chavchavadze Avenue…

The day after the funeral, I was supposed to go to the region. I had an unregistered weapon given to me by a deceased friend and planned to take it with me…

I went to Chavchavadze Avenue, where Levan Jangveladze was expected to arrive. I wanted to tell him: I trusted your word, and your people treated me brutally; I want to know that you did not give such an order.

When Levan arrived, I did not notice him at first — I was on my phone, writing messages. He asked me for an address; I recognized his voice and told him I didn’t know. He said I looked familiar. He came out of the entrance with Kakhaber Dzandzava; I stood up, and both of them looked me over. At the hearing, Dzandzava said he found me suspicious. He signaled something to Levan, they sped up, and I realized Levan had recognized me and was about to act. I turned around and took out the weapon. When I turned, Levan had already moved to act, so I fired a warning shot. I told him not to pull out a weapon or I would shoot. It didn’t hit him. He immediately got up; I shot him in the body, he fell, Dzandzava ran behind a car, and I fired into the air.

I do not know the Mikadze brothers — I have no idea who they are. Investigators came to me and told me to name them as those who ordered the crime; I learned about them from the investigators.

I worked with Giorgi Jokhadze for three years. I didn’t know who was paying my salary — from the case materials I learned it was being transferred from David Mikadze,” Udzilauri said.

In response to a question from lawyer Zviad Kordzadze about whether the Mikadze brothers or anyone acting on their behalf had any involvement in planning the murder, Udzilauri answered negatively.

“I am the sole perpetrator of this murder. There was no planning or consultation. I learned about the Mikadze brothers from investigators. If I named them, I would receive certain benefits,” he said.

Asked whether the murder was committed for financial gain, Udzilauri replied:“No, there was no financial motive.”

When asked about the motive, he said it was personal.

“They beat me on Levan Jangveladze’s orders; I was humiliated. I wanted to tell him he treated me unfairly. I wanted to talk to him calmly, but the situation changed — when he moved to act, I then fired. There is video footage — I am recorded from all angles. I stood there for three hours; you will not find any intent to commit murder,” he said.

He also stated that after the killing, he wanted to contact Giorgi Jokhadze to tell him “what had happened.”

According to him, he planned to surrender to the police the next day.

Udzilauri claims he was unlawfully sentenced to life imprisonment.

“I was unlawfully given such a severe sentence,” he said.

He added that Giorgi Jokhadze did not have a bank account, which is why his salary was transferred from others, and part of it was paid in cash.

Prosecutor Levan Vepkhvadze asked how many phone numbers he had; Udzilauri said two but could not recall them by memory. When asked how he had a hotel employee call Giorgi Jokhadze from Tbilisi Tower Hotel if he couldn’t remember the number, Udzilauri said he was not sure he remembered it exactly.

Asked how many phones he had on the day of the murder, he said one, adding that he had lost the second phone.

Regarding the murder weapon, he said he had “thrown it away somewhere in the forest.”

Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili also questioned him. The judge asked why, if he intended to surrender the next day, he disposed of the weapon instead of handing it over to police.

“When this tragedy happened, I did not know Jangveladze had died,” Udzilauri replied. When asked how many shots he fired, he said, “I don’t know, but many.”

“Is a warning shot to the leg?” the judge asked. Udzilauri responded that he fired “downwards.”

Asked again about discarding the weapon, he said:“This weapon ruined me — with this weapon I wounded a person.”

“Couldn’t you have said the same to the investigator and presented the weapon?” the judge asked again. Udzilauri replied that “this was probably his mistake.”

Judge Tkeshelashvili also asked why he went armed if he intended to talk peacefully.

“I had the right to carry a weapon; the one I had illegally I planned to take to the region,” Udzilauri said.

Asked whether Jangveladze had his back turned at the moment of the shooting, Udzilauri replied:“No, he was sideways.”

For reference, the investigation accuses brothers Giorgi and David Mikadze, as well as Giorgi Jokhadze, of organizing the contract killing of Levan Jangveladze.

Giorgi Jokhadze is also charged, together with Giorgi Kachkachashvili, with the illegal group purchase of firearms.

Gela Udzilauri has been convicted of the contract, profit-motivated premeditated murder of businessman Levan Jangveladze and the attempted murder of Gia Chaduneli. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the same case, Sandro Tsivtsivadze has been convicted of illegally selling firearms and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Former Prosecutor General Otar Romanov-Pkhartsaladze is also charged in this case under Article 25/109 (subparagraph “n”) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which refers to organizing a contract, profit-motivated murder.

The crime carries a sentence of 16 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Otar Romanov-Pkhartsaladze is a Russian citizen and has been declared internationally wanted.