2014-03-29 On March 29, employees of anti-corruption department arrested Chairperson of Khelvachauri Municipality Sakrebulo Malkhaz Partenadze on charges of accepting a bribe. Later charges were changed to attempted fraud. According to the investigating authorities, Malkhaz Partenadze falsely promised Amiran Adeishvili and Natia Makharashvili to sell them a land plot in Gonio, intending to transfer the land plot into the ownership of these individuals by abusing his official authority and without holding an auction. The prosecution also maintained that Malkhaz Partenadze was arrested at the time of accepting a bribe – 500 000 laris. Malkhaz Partenadze’s lawyers argue that there are no audio, photo or video recordings to prove that the chairman accepted the bribe. The court rejected motion for Malkhaz Partenadze’s imprisonment and granted in part the defense’s motion for a bail of 10 000 laris and releazed Partenadze on bail of 50 000 laris. The investigation is pending and the case has not yet been closed. ISFED’s coordinator was unable to personally contact Sakrebulo Chairman as he is currently on a leave of absence; however, with its April 18 decision Tbilisi City Court terminated his official powers. Some members of Sakrebulo believe that his arrest has to do with his participation in elections and polling, while some state that Partenadze was not going to run in elections. Partenadze joined Sakrebulo as part of the UNM’s election list but currently he is not affiliated with any of the parties.