Opposition accuses ministers of ‘concealing crime’ involving current official’s brother
Opposition member Khatia Dekanoidze says that those involved in ‘concealing a crime’ must be held accountable. Photo: presa.ge.
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The United National Movement (UNM) opposition has accused current secretary of the National Security Council Levan Izoria and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri of ‘concealing a crime’ which involved Izoria’s brother back in 2014, stating that current Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia ‘was also aware of the offence.’
In a briefing earlier today, which came after yesterday’s TV story by Mtavari Arkhi, UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze said that in 2014 Major Giorgi Dvalishvili stopped Izoria’s brother Vakhtang Izoria ‘for driving under the influence of alcohol,’ and later detained him [Izoaria] for disobedience and making threats.’
Dvalishvili and Dekanoidze say that Izoria was shortly released from the scene ‘as then-deputy Interior Ministers Izoria and Gomelauri got involved by phone.’
Both say that since the incident Dvalishvili “was persecuted” – demoted and then dismissed.
Dvalishvili says that he informed the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the 2014 incident several months ago, “after the head of Tbilisi Patrol Police Kakha Bukhradze contacted him and demanded he send the video depicting the incident.”
Ruling party MP Sophio Kiladze says that Vakhtang Izoria is a person with disabilities, suffering psychological problems, and the release of the video was 'immoral.' Photo: Sophio Kiladze's Facebook page.
Dvalishvili says that the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Bukhradze and the Georgian Public Defender’s Office is also looking into the case.
Head of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee Sophio Kiladze says that Izoria’s brother “suffers from psychological problems, which is known for the UNM and Mtavari Arkhi and the release of the video was morally unjustified.”
She said that the rights of Vakhtang Izoria, who is a person with disabilities, ‘have been totally ignored.’
Kiladze dismissed allegations regarding ‘persecution’ and stated that Dvalishvili was promoted twice since 2014 and his wife was [and is] employed at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Head of Parliament’s Legal Issues Committee Anri Okhanashvili says that the ‘rule of law is ensured’ in Georgia and everyone who violates the law will be held accountable.
As far as I know the issue is being investigated,” Okhanashvili said, stating that the release of the video after five years from the incident took place ‘looks like to a narrative of the United National Movement.’
He said that if Dvalishvili was looking for the truth and was eager 'to protect his and the police’s dignity,’ he must not have kept the video for several years and should have released it shortly after the incident.
The parliamentary opposition has announced that demonstrators will block the parliament building in central Tbilisi in February and the opposition will organise ‘intense protests’ against the current state leadership around the issue of 2020 parliamentary elections. “Let’s see how Ivanishvili [founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili] and the current state leadership will resist the protests,” leader of the European Georgia opposition party Giga Bokeria stated earlier today.
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The diplomatic corps in Georgia has offered to orchestrate a meeting between the ruling party and the opposition which may take place early tomorrow, former Parliament Speaker, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Irakli Kobakhidze has stated. The EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that “he is happy” the meeting will take place.
The European Georgia and the United National Movement opposition parties have refused to attend the presentation at 2 p.m., when the Georgian Dream ruling party will propose the changes in the constitution for Georgia to have fully proportional voting in the 2020 parliamentary elections, the electoral system have demanded by the opposition for years.
Head of the Georgian Intelligence Service and the Secretary of the National Security Council Levan Izoria has resigned, becoming the country’s new ambassador to Germany.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that what he has seen in the recently released video, depicting the brother of former head of the Georgian Intelligence Service Levan Izoria fighting with a law enforcer, ‘is disgusting and his action [Izoaria’s brother, Vakhtang Izoria] has no justification.’