The Tbilisi City Court fully accepted the evidence presented by the Prosecutor's Office and found Giorgi Udesiani and Aleksandre Mukhadze, former director of Institution No. 8 of the Penitentiary Department, guilty of torturing and extorting property from businessman Besarion Khardziani in order to force him to cede shares in Turtle Lake.

The evidence examined at the trial confirmed that in 2008, Giorgi Udesiani and Besarion Khardziani became partners in LLC “Turtle Lake Kalasa” and LLC “Turtle Lake Palace”.

In 2011, officers of the Special Operative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested Besarion Khardziani on charges of purchasing and storing narcotics, and after being sentenced to imprisonment, he was placed in Institution No. 8 of the Penitentiary Department.

In order to illegally acquire the shares of Turtle Lake owned by Besarion Khardziani and his family members and gain full control over the relevant assets, Giorgi Udesiani developed and implemented a violent, criminal plan. The defendant contacted the then director of Institution No. 8, Aleksandre Mukhadze, with whom he had a friendly relationship, and instructed him to create such conditions for the businessman in the prison that Besarion Khardziani and his family members would be forced to surrender their shares of Turtle Lake.

Two prisoners trusted by the administration were placed in Besarion Khardziani's cell, who had received an order from Aleksandre Mukhadze to use any method to force Besarion Khardziani to give up his shares of Turtle Lake. For almost two months, these individuals systematically abused him both psychologically and physically and forced him to give up the property in favor of Giorgi Udesiani.

Also, on the instructions of Aleksandre Mukhadze, employees of institution No. 8 facilitated and directly participated in the violence against Besarion Khardziani. Giorgi Udesiani also exerted physical and psychological pressure on Besarion Khardziani's brother, Giorgi Khardziani.

Finally, as a result of physical and psychological violence, prisoner Besarion Khardziani and his family members were forced to give up shares of Turtle Lake (LLC “Ku Tba Kala” and LLC “Ku Tba Palace”) to Giorgi Udesiani, since in case of failure to comply with the demand, he was threatened with rape and murder in prison. The value of the said property was approximately 4,000,000 GEL.

Tbilisi City Court found Giorgi Udesiani guilty of committing crimes under Articles 25, 144, Part 2, Subparagraphs “d” and “g” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (organization of torture, committed against two or more persons and a person detained or otherwise deprived of liberty) and Article 181, Part 2, Subparagraph “g” (extortion, committed for the purpose of obtaining a large amount of property) and determined the form and length of punishment as 10 years and 6 months of imprisonment, while Aleksandre Mukhadze was found guilty under Articles 144, Part 2, Subparagraphs “a”, “g”, “h” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (torture, committed by an official, against a person detained or otherwise deprived of liberty, by order) and Article 333, Part 3, Subparagraphs “b” and Under the charges brought under subsection “c” (exceeding official authority, committed with violence and insulting the personal dignity of the victim), the form and extent of the punishment was determined as 10 years and 6 months of imprisonment.