Interior Minister dismisses allegations by arrested Security Service deputy as “ridiculous, unfounded”

Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri on Friday dismissed allegations against him of exercising pressure on the currently imprisoned former Deputy Head of the country's State Security Service, Soso (Ioseb) Gogashvili, describing the accusations by the latter and his family as “ridiculous and absolutely unfounded”. 

• Former Deputy Head of State Security Service charged with misuse of authority, possession of state secrets, personal data

Responding to the allegations for the first time, Gomelauri, who headed the State Security Service between 2015-2019, stressed he had "never exerted pressure” on Gogashvili to force him to provide a desired testimony, as the latter has claimed. 

Gogashvili has made the claim after accusing the Georgian Dream Government and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili of “rigging elections” and “affiliation with the Kremlin”. 

Gogashvili served as my deputy for about three years. We had a close relationship. Unfortunately, now he says that he had been collecting compromising materials against me and the ruling party all this time”, Gomelauri said, adding “let him say or publish what he wants, we are waiting”. 

In his social media post last Thursday, Gogashvili said that along with Gomelauri, he had also received threats from Ivanishvili, and called on local human rights organisations and the Public Defender to ensure the safety of his family.

• Gogashvili, who was denied bail last month, has been charged with exceeding authority, illegally obtaining personal data of two individuals and illegal possession of firearms on July 18, after being arrested at his home two days earlier.
• The Prosecutor's Office said an investigation carried out by the Service showed Gogashvili had held access to information containing “state secrets”, as well as personal data of “certain individuals”, between 2015-2018.
• The statement noted Gogashvili had taken the data out of his office for “personal purposes” and kept it at home, through a misuse of his authority. Some of the personal data was later “disseminated with the participation of Gogashvili”, the body added, violating the constitutional rights of individuals and “causing significant damage”.
• The Service said the case also involved a threat of disclosure of state secrets.