2014-02-10 On February 10, 2014, prosecution service arrested Khoni Municipality Gamgebeli Zurab Jibukhia and his deputy Besarion Chelidze on charges of abuse of official power; in particular, the case involves illegal cutting of trees in Khoni Municipality in 2010. According to the UNM, Zurab Jibukhaia was supposed to be their candidate in local self-government elections for the position of Gamgebeli. The detention means that he will not be able to participate in the pre-election campaign. Statement released by the prosecution service says that under the decision of Khoni Municipality Sakrebulo, the illegally cut trees were provided to the wood working factories in the municipality instead of poor population, as part of a criminal scheme. This way, the property of Khoni Municipality Gamgeoba with the value of 580,69 laris was embezzled. Investigation has been instituted under para.3 of Article 182, para.1 of Article 332 and Article 341 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, envisaging imprisonment ranging from 7 to 11 years.12 Para.12, Article 38 of the CPC, prohibits sentencing imprisonment to a defendant except when there is a risk of fleeing, committing a new offence, exerting influence on a witness, destroying evidence of hindering enforcement of verdict. As far as we know, the prosecution could not prove that any of these risks actually existed. Nevertheless, on February 12 Kutaisi City Court sentenced Zurab Jubukhia and Besarion Chelidze to imprisonment as a preventive measure.