The Tbilisi City Court ordered businessman Tamaz Elizbarashvili to be remanded in custody as a pretrial measure.

Elizbarashvili was charged in connection with a threat incident on September 3.

“On August 30, at approximately 11:40 p.m., Tamaz Elizbarashvili accidentally encountered one of the victims at a restaurant in Tbilisi. A verbal altercation broke out between them over a comment that Tamaz Elizbarashvili had previously posted on social media regarding the victim and his family.

During the verbal altercation, Tamaz Elizbarashvili threatened the victim and the people who were with him. In particular, he said that he would not let the matter go, that he would return in approximately 30 minutes, and that they should not leave the restaurant premises.

To prevent the situation from escalating further, the victims left the restaurant.

At approximately 12:20 a.m. on August 31, Tamaz Elizbarashvili returned to the scene with the intention of carrying out his threat, demonstratively placing his hand inside the pocket of his outer clothing.

Elizbarashvili was armed and attempted to enter the restaurant. He also continued to threaten and verbally abuse the victims. Despite being prohibited from doing so by security personnel, Tamaz Elizbarashvili nevertheless entered the restaurant premises. After making sure that the victims were no longer there, he left the premises,” the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia said in a statement.