Georgian PM summoned by parliamentary opposition for 1st time to speak about crime

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze spoke in parliament about the criminal situation in the country earlier today – this was demanded of him by the opposition. For the first time in the history of the Georgian parliament, the opposition MPs have the right to summon top officials to parliament and ask them questions on specific issues. 

Bakhtadze stated  that the opposition is trying to mislead people by claiming the crime rate “has catastrophically increased” and the government is “failing to ensure the safety” of its citizens and visitors.

• Ministry of Internal Affairs: 58,412 crimes registered in Georgia in 2018
• People address police more frequently for family crimes than earlier

Bakhtadze said that transparency and a new methodology of crime statistics, increased reporting and trust in law enforcers and raised awareness towards certain offences have become the key reasons of increased figures.

Rates of serious and particularly serious crimes have either remained unchanged in 2017, 2018 or decreased. The increase was observed in terms of such crimes which are now reported more openly, for instance family violence and robbery,” Bakhtadze said.

Interior Ministry says that the number of registered crimes increased in Georgia in 2018 compared to 2017. Photo: Interior Ministry press office. 

He stated that the previous United National Movement leadership used to hide crimes and refuse to register crimes which had low chances of being solved..

We do not cheat the public and register all the crimes as they are,” Bakhtadze said.

Bakhtadze says that 62 per cent of the crimes which were registered in 2018 were crimes which were not registered by the law enforcement agencies of the United National Movement, and named robbery and physical abuse as examples.

Bakhtadze stated that crimes in the country must be responded to within the law and not at the expense of human rights, “as it was under the UNM leadership.”

The UNM MP Roman Gotsiridze accused the Georgian Dream leadership of releasing hundreds of people from prison who now commit crimes in the country and abroad.

Bakhtadze called the statement “cheap populism” and advised the opposition to closely familiarise themselves with crimes statistics.