Interior Minister arrives in parliament over anti-drug raid in night clubs
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The Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia came in parliament today to speak about the police raid in nightclubs in Tbilisi on May 12 and to answer to the lawmakers’ questions.
In his speech Gakharia thanked police as they acted within the law during the raid.
No one has yet provided even a single fact that the police exceeded their power during the raid,” Gakharia said.
If such a fact is revealed and confirmed, we are ready to react appropriately,” Gakharia said.
The minister stated that the police raided in the two nightclubs only after they had evidence over the sale of drugs.
We chose the midnight for the operation as club life starts at night. Police excused for disturbing of people and explained the reason of the raid.
We created discomfort for 70-100 people in the clubs who arrived there for entertainment. However, the raid took place because of the public interests and the benefits brought by the raid are significant ,” Gakharia stated.
Gakharia said that no one can say that "even a hair was dropped” from them due to the actions of police inside the clubs.
The minister told the lawmakers that his body was focused on protection of safety and spoke about the Human Rights Protection Department, which was created in the Interior Ministry in January this year.
Gakharia also announced about a tourist patrol during his speech.
Hundreds of protesters have closed Rustaveli avenue in Tbilisi criticising police raid of the night clubs Bassiani and Cafe Gallery yesterday resulting in the detention of eight drug traffickers.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia believes that prevention and rehabilitation are among the most important steps for improving the drug-related situation in the country.
The Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated today after his meeting with the organisers of the large-scale rally on Rustaveli Avenue on 12-13 May that an agreement has been achieved on a "top issue.” The minister stated that the raid in nightclubs on May 12 came after 48 cases of drug intoxication of clubbers over the past two weeks.
A peaceful resolution of possible confrontation between the two groups came after a more than one hour meeting between the Minister of Internal Affairs accompanied by Tbilisi Mayor and the White Noise Movement leaders inside the parliament building.
A Georgian citizen born in 1974 with several prior convictions has been arrested by the Ministry of Internal Affairs at Kutaisi International Airport for an attempt to enter the country with a large amount of drugs.