PM selects former Legal Aid Service head as Anti-Corruption Bureau Chair
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday met Razhden Kuprashvili, the new Chair of the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau. Photo: Government press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday met Razhden Kuprashvili, the new Chair of the country’s recently established Anti-Corruption Bureau, who was selected for the position by the Government head from candidates shortlisted by a selection commission on Monday.
The Government Administration said Kuprashvili, the former Chair of the Legal Aid Service, a state organisation ensuring free legal assistance for socially vulnerable citizens, would now lead the agency proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party last year, as part of efforts to fulfil the European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The new state body will be tasked with combating corruption, supervising the implementation of the Government's general policy and national strategy against the crime, and coordinating activities of relevant bodies, organisations and officials.
The Georgian Government on Wednesday published the list of qualifications for those interested in applying for the position of the Chair of the recently established Anti-Corruption Bureau, an institution formed as part of efforts to fulfil European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The selection commission tasked with reviewing submissions for the position of the Chair of the newly formed Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday interviewed select candidates, the Government Administration announced.
Revaz Javelidze, the Head of Georgian Government Administration, was on Thursday elected as Chair of the commission tasked with selecting the head of the recently set up Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday signed a decree opening the call for the position of the Chief of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, a newly created office the Government has initiated as part of efforts to fulfil the European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Ongoing reforms at Georgia’s Interior Ministry and projects in its 2023 plans were discussed on Friday in a meeting of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili with Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and his deputies.
Razhden Kuprashvili, the Chair of Georgia’s newly established Anti-Corruption Bureau, on Tuesday briefed the delegation of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe about his agency’s work and intentions.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the creation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was “important” for the country's institutional development, in addition to being a part of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted the country was ahead of 11 European Union and 13 NATO member states in terms of corruption control and ranked first in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea regions.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday commended his Government's efforts in combating corruption at an official presentation of the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, launched as part of the European Union conditions for granting its membership candidate status to the country.
The State Security Service of Georgia on Thursday said its anti-corruption body brought 170 people to justice in 61 criminal inquiries in 2022, with the cases including bribery, illegal possession of real estate, and abuse of official authority.
Givi Mikanadze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said there were “no question marks” regarding the Chair of the country’s recently established Anti-Corruption Bureau and the procedure for their election, following the opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe that on Tuesday said the “current institutional design does not provide for a sufficient degree of independence” of the body.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Georgia, on Thursday said domestic anti-corruption laws could be revised if advised by the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee.