Interior Ministry initiates harsher punishment for concealing, not reporting a crime
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The Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated changes to provide tougher punishments for concealing, not reporting a crime.
The punishment is also expected to become tougher for giving a false testimony and for the refusal to give a testimony.
The decision was caused by existing cooperation problems with law enforcers and current inadequate sanctions for the crimes,” the Interior Ministry stated.
The ministry says that for now concealing/not reporting of any type of crime (less grave, grave, particularly grave) is regarded as a less grave crime.
Concealing a crime is punishable by 1-3 years in prison, while not reporting a crime can mean 2-4 years in prison.
The legal initiative offered by the ministry separates concealing and not reporting of less grave and grave crimes.
"Concealing/non-notifying of grave or particularly grave crimes will become grave crimes and the allowance of parole for an individual found guilty of the crimes will not be possible,” the ministry announced.
The ministry says that giving a false testimony or the refusal to give a testimony will also be included in the category of grave crimes.
In his previous statements Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that a number of crime witnesses refuse to cooperate with law enforcers because of mentality which hinders the investigation process.
The ministry says that over the course of the past six months 24 individuals have been charged with concealing or non-reporting a crime, which is equal to the data from last year.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia says that people phone police for family violence cases more frequently than in previous years. The Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia Natia Mezvrishvili said that several police officers have been dismissed for committing domestic violence.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has announced it has launched a human rights department in a new move aimed at improving the qualification of law enforcement professionals in dealing with various new challenges in crime.
The Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili has stated that 53 individuals were detained for committing violent crimes in 2018 so far.
Fewer people are dying in car crashes on Georgian roads, however the number of people injured and the number of crashes continues to rise.
Giorgi Gakharia and Christopher Wray have also agreed that Georgian law enforcers will be involved in operations against international and transborder organised crime.
Georgia ranks fifth among 125 countries in the 2018 Crime Index by Numbeo. The country has improved its ranking by two steps compared to last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported today.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia marked Orthodox New Year, which is also called ‘Old New Year’ in Georgia, at the occupation line, and wished ministry employees of the Special Tasks Department a happy year and gave them presents as well.
The Georgia Parliament has approved a bill proposed by the Interior Ministry which makes both passive and active participation in street disputes a criminal offence, punishable by up to two years in prison.
Georgian police have detained one individual for murder in Zugdidi municipality in the western Georgian region of Samegrelo. The crime is punishable by seven to 15 years in prison.