Police Massively Fines Members of Georgian Dream in Kakheti

ICK

Police officers massively fine members of Georgian Dream in Kakheti. Law enforcement officers fined Merab Ivanashvili from Lagodekhi 340 lari in two days.

“We were traveling from Lagodekhi to Ulianovka village in three or four cars; I was last in the row. I saw police cars following me in the mirror. I did not break traffic rules; I was driving at the speed of 60 km per hour. Soon, police officers demanded me to stop the car; they said I had crossed the axial line but I actually had not done this. Five people were sitting in my car and everybody confirmed that I had not breached the rules but police officers fined me 200 lari. On August 7, I was stopped at petrol-station in Kavshiri village and they fined me 100 lari. They accused me of crossing the axial line though I had not because I knew that the police car was following me. The next day I was in Georgian Dream’s office in Lagodekhi. Having left office, I went to the village; the police followed and stopped me. I had passengers in the car; everybody had their seat belts on but police officer accused us of not; as a result I was fined 40 lari,” Merab Ivanashvili told ICK.

Police officers fined another member of Georgian Dream, Kakhaber Kevlishvili, 400 lari in Lagodekhi. Two administrative protocols were drawn up on Kevlishvili for having incorrectly outrun cars. “I told police officers I had not outrun any car and that they were fining me illegally. They said I could complain about their protocol anywhere I wished,” Kakhaber Kevlishvili said.

Another member of Georgian Dream, Gia Bitsadze, was fined 100 lari in Lagodekhi. “I was blamed for crossing the axial line when I had not done it. But I cannot prove the opposite,” Bitsadze said.

According to the ICK’s information, on August 5 and 9 police officers fined Levan Khvistani, member of Georgian Dream’s Telavi office. They drew up administrative protocol on him alleging he did not have permission to transfer his car from petrol to auto-gas and for having breached traffic rules.

Representatives of the Kakheti Department of the Patrol Police and the Kakheti regional MIA department did not comment on the massive fining of Georgian Dream’s members in the region.

None of the people who were fined have sued the imposed administrative protocols. They said it is useless because it will not change anything.

According to statistical data, in 2010-2011 Telavi, Gurjaani and Kvareli district courts have not annulled any administrative protocols drawn by patrol police officers.