Tbilisi – Shocking words of confession came from Arkadi Badri Patarkatsishvili, the famous Georgian owner of several news media companies, who was accused of plotting a military coup after the upcoming January 5 elections in his country.
Patarkatsishvili, who will run in the January presidential elections of 2008, responded to accusations from Georgia’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office that he would first seek cancellation of the elections in an embroilment on January 6 and then collaborate with the police to overthrow the government of Mikheil Saakashvili. The public prosecutor formerly said that Patarkatsishvili offered Chief Police Officer Erekle Kodua a bribe of $100mn to help overthrow Saakashvili’s government. Patarkatsishvili admitted to offering a huge sum of money; however, he defended himself by saying that he did this to avert the opposition from interfering with his own manifestations. Patarkatsishvili confirmed the allegations that he had met with Kodua in London on Sunday with a view towards preventing the oppositional demonstrations from being squelched after the elections. The opposition was stopped in a state of martial law in November from staging demonstrations. "I’m ready to spend as much money as necessary to avert the police from using force in squashing against peaceful demonstrations. And I’m ready to offer Kodua as much as he wants," said Patarkatsishvili.
Patarkatsishvili told at the weekend a British newspaper that the Georgian government had hired Uveys Ahmedov, a Chechen warrior, to assassinate him. Georgia’s public prosecutor’s allegations against Patarkatsishvili came after the publication his interview with the British newspaper.
Patarkatsishvili is a wealthy Georgian businessman with extensive involvement both in politics and sports. (Agency Caucasus)
