Gov’t rejects opposition leader Melia’s “disinformation” over claim of leak of Georgian combatant’s personal data from Defence Ministry
The Strategic Communications Service of the Government of Georgia on Tuesday accused the head of the United National Movement party, Nika Melia, of spreading fake information over an alleged leak of personal data from the Georgian Defence Ministry. Photo: Government of Georgia press office
Tweet 
Share
The Strategic Communications Service of the Government of Georgia on Tuesday dismissed allegations by the Chair of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia about a leak of personal information of a Georgian combatant from the archives of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
In its response to Melia’s social media post that made the allegation earlier today, the Service said the post was “another disinformation by a bankrupt political force” and added the claim aimed to “spark tension in the public and discredit the Government”.
In his brief post, Melia made the allegation that information on an unnamed combatant had been “found in the hands of the occupier” after its supposed leak from the archives of the Ministry.
The politician did not provide any details in the comments, in which he accused the Government of “collaborationism” with Russia.
Melia was elected as the Chair of UNM - a party founded by the currently imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili - in December 2020.
Officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party have repeatedly accused the UNM of attempts to see Georgia becoming involved in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine since the outbreak of the hostilities in late February.
Georgian law enforcers have detained one individual who allegedly shot at a banner of the United National Movement opposition party which depicts the party’s currently imprisoned leader Nika Melia.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has stated earlier today that if the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia posts bail, they will request his release from Tbilisi City Court.
Former opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia has been arrested by police earlier today for refusal to post bail shortly after the parliament approved Irakli Garibashvili prime minister and his cabinet late yesterday. Melia was arrested in his office in the UNM headquarters in Tbilisi by special unit servicemen. Police allegedly used pepper spray in the room.
A bail worth 40,000 GEL was posted in order to allow for the United National Movement (UNM) chair Nika Melia’s release from pretrial detention, the European Union Delegation to Georgia has announced earlier today.
The Georgian Defence Ministry on Tuesday dismissed allegations by opposition figures and opposition-minded TV channels over an alleged leak of a servicemember’s personal information from the body’s archives and its “sale” to Russia, rejecting them as a “deliberate campaign” aimed to “mislead the public and discredit the Government”.
Elections are the only way to change the Government and any attempts to overthrow it will be “doomed to fail”, Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor, said on Monday in response to comments by opposition leader Nika Melia on an “urgent need for changes in the state leadership”.
The Georgian Defence Ministry on Monday dismissed reports by opposition-minded TV channels that said servicemembers were leaving the Georgian Defence Forces “en masse” as “disinformation”.
The Georgian state security service on Monday claimed “deliberate provocation” in recent allegations by an opposition figure and a media outlet over an alleged leak of personal information of servicemember Mikheil Kamkhadze from the country’s defence ministry archives and its sale to Russia, following the release of interim results of its investigation into the case.
The State Audit Office of Georgia on Tuesday said it would investigate a claim by a member of the United National Movement opposition party who said the party’s incumbent Chair Nika Melia had received a car as a gift from David Kezerashvili, the wanted former UNM Defence Minister and current owner of a commercial TV channel.