Georgian PM slams policemen’s involvement in recent murder, notes case shouldn’t affect perception of police

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that “it is intolerable” that two acting and one former policemen have been involved in the recent murder case of a 35-year-old man, but stated that such “single cases” must not put in the shadows the merit of the 40,000 other police employees in the country. 

When it is finally confirmed that the policemen were involved in the murder case, we will not show leniency and they will receive a tougher punishment than others in the situation,” Gakharia said. 

“However, such cases must not affect the 40,000 other police employees who risk their lives on a daily basis for our safety and security,” Gakharia added. 

The body of 35-year-old David Mumladze, with up to 30 wounds on his body, was found on the bank of River Mtkvari in Rustavi on October 5. He had been missing since October 1. 

• Five individuals, including two acting and one former policemen, have been detained and charged on the case. 
• In total six are involved in the case, but one is on the run. 
• The Prosecutor’s Office says that two individuals, Giorgi Asatiani and Zurab Jgarkava [Jgarkava is on the run], who had a dispute with Mumladze, planned the murder and contacted Mumladze’s friend Giorgi Getashvili, acting police officers Mikheil Gubianuri and Davit Mirotadze and former policemen Dimitri Gudashvili to help them in the murder. 
• The Prosecutor’s Office says that Getashvili got his friend to leave his flat and drove him to Gldani district in Tbilisi, where they were stopped by the former and acting police officers, who illegally detained mumladze and handed him to Asatiani and Jgarkava in Rustavi. 
• The Prosecutor’s Office reports that Asatiani and Jgarkava stabbed the man on the bank of Mtkvari in Rustavi and then threw the body into the river.