Prosecutors will appeal against Tbilisi City Court’s decision declining prosecution’s motions, among them one seeking to suspend Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava from the office pending trial, to a higher court, chief prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili said on Tuesday. 

“This decision by the court was not a surprise for the prosecution, but this decision was illegal, so we will appeal this decision,” Kbilashvili said.

He, however, also said that he was not expecting that the Court of Appeals would rule positively on prosecutors’ appeal and accused the judiciary of remaining biased in favor of President Saakashvili and his UNM party.

“Prosecutor’s office has changed, but the judiciary remains unchanged,” Kbilashvili said at a news conference on February 26.

He said that judges “remain in a mode” in which they worked under the previous government and continue providing “service” to the previous government.

“Previously this service was done through implementing executive government’s orders and today this service is being provided by throwing a rescue rope to former officials who are now in trouble in order to save them from facing responsibility,” Kbilashvili said.

Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava has been charged with money laundering, as well as misspending and embezzling of large amount of public funds.

A preliminary hearing on the merits of the criminal case against Ugulava has been set in the Tbilisi City Court for April 10.