Interpol issues ‘red notice’ for Georgian ex-Interior Ministry official

The charges against Kodua come with a maximum penalty of nine years imprisonment.
Agenda.ge, 07 Apr 2014 - 19:08, Tbilisi,Georgia

Police around the globe are on the lookout for former Georgian Interior Ministry official Erekle Kodua after he was named on Interpol’s wanted list.

The world’s largest international police organisation, with 190 member countries, issued a red notice in Kodua’s name.

The Interpol website read Kodua was wanted by Georgian authorities in relation to two charges. He faces two counts of ‘exceeding official authority’ and two counts of ‘fraud’.

An Interpol red notice means the person concerned was wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision. Interpol’s role was to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating the person of interest, with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia laid charges against Kodua, who was the country’s ex-head of the Special Operative Department (SOD) of the Interior Ministry on March 17, 2014.

The SOD was disestablished after the 2012 Parliamentary Elections.

Kodua was charged with abusing power and committing fraud. The charges against him come with a maximum penalty of nine years imprisonment.

Kodua fled Georgia after the Parliamentary Elections in 2012. He is believed to be living in Prague.