Defence Ministry dismisses media, opposition claims on leak of servicemember’s personal data from its archives as “fake, absurd”

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”. 

In its response, the Ministry called “absurd and fake” the information released by Mtavari Arkhi and the Chair of the United National Movement opposition party, Nika Melia, about personal data of an initially unnamed servicemember, adding the “disinformation” served “narrow political interests”.

The initial claims by Melia - made using his social media account - made no mention of the name of the individual in question or other details, however subsequent claims and TV reports involved the name of former servicemember Mikheil Kamkhadze, whose personal information the channels claimed had been found in Ukraine.

• Gov’t rejects opposition leader Melia’s “disinformation” over claim of leak of Georgian combatant’s personal data from Defence Ministry

In its response, the Ministry explained procedures relating to personal information of servicemembers, noting that after their discharge from armed forces their personal files were not kept “in material form” at structural units of the Ministry and instead were forwarded to “relevant municipal agencies” of the body. 

The body said the personal file of Kamkhadze had been forwarded some time ago from the Ministry to the “relevant district commissariat” and was kept there “in its original state”, adding the move meant withdrawal of the documentation from the Ministry or any of its agencies was “impossible”.

Its statement also said the Ministry would study the authenticity of the TV footage to confirm whether the information was indeed discovered in Ukraine.

In further comments, the Ministry confirmed Mtavari Arkhi had requested information over the question, but added neither the UNM party nor the channel had waited for the verified and accurate information before going public with the claims, noting they had acted “in accordance with narrow political interests”. 

The Strategic Communications Service of the Government of Georgia also dismissed allegations by Melia about the leak. In its response to Melia’s social media post the Service called it “another disinformation by a bankrupt political force” and added the claim aimed to “spark tension in the public and discredit the Government”.