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The man Mikheil Saakashvili demanded should be locked up and who he described as having a "criminal mentality" has walked free from the courthouse after the judge in the so-called "Mukhrovani mutiny" case rejected the prosecution's evidence against him.

Koba Kobaladze was found guilty of illegal possession of weapons - he did not deny he had them or that he, as a reservist, had broken regulations, but merely disputed that it was crime - and was sentenced to time served.

On 5 May, the day of the alleged mutiny, Saakashvili was filmed declaring Kobaladze's guilt:

"We should have dealt with General Kobaladze much earlier. 

"We knew and you knew that these people have done nothing good for Georgia; these are the people with criminal mentality and we knew this… These people should not have been free for all this time," he told Vano Merabishvili, the interior minister.

He then added: "This liberalism has already become dangerous. I am no longer going to tolerate it; these people are criminals."

In the same broadcast Merabishvili claimed to have proof that Kobaladze was in contact with the Russians but no evidence was presented in any part of the case of Russian involvement. Most of the accused denied any suggestion of mutiny - merely saying they had refused to obey orders (a less serious charge) to take part in a military parade, either because they thought it inappropriate or because they feared military forces were being brought into Tbilisi on a pretext before being turned on opposition protestors.

Kobaladze consistently denied any prior knowledge of the events on Mukhrovani military base, just outside Tbilisi, on 5 May last year.

Other defendants received very lengthy sentences leading one opposition source, referring to the murder of Sandro Girgvliani by government forces, to remark "if you work for the CSD [Constitutional Security Department] and commit a murder an innocent man you get three years and a pardon, if you work for the military and refuse to drive your tank over innocents you get 19 years."

The prosecution case against Kobaladze amounted to little more than flimsy hearsay evidence but many will be surprised at the judge's aquittal, given Georgia's reputation for political influenced trials and the president's prior announcement of Kobaladze's guilt.

Those found guilty will have the chance to appeal.