(AFP) – Oct 9, 2007

TBILISI (AFP) — A former Georgian defence minister turned opposition leader was released on bail early Tuesday, shortly after retracting accusations that President Mikheil Saakashvili had plotted murder and was corrupt, Georgian television reported.

Irakli Okruashvili, who is facing charges of corruption, money laundering, abuse of power and negligence, was released after posting 10 million lari (six million dollars, four million euros) in bail, Rustavi-2 television reported.

News reports showed him entering his home in the capital Tbilisi overnight and refusing to speak with journalists.

Okruashvili withdrew his accusations against Saakashvili in a televised statement on Monday, saying he had no proof and that his claims were politically motivated.

Up to 10,000 people joined an anti-government demonstration in the capital Tbilisi late last month after Okruashvili's allegations and subsequent arrest, in the most serious challenge to Saakashvili's authority since he was elected president in 2004.

Okruashvili's supporters accused the president of trying to silence a potential rival and said the arrest undermined Saakashvili's credentials as a democratic reformer.

Opposition parties alleged authorities had pressured Okruashvili into withdrawing his claims and vowed to continue anti-government protests.

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