Police Officials Dismissed in Shida Kartli

Police Officials Dismissed in Shida Kartli

Tbilisi.03.13.05.Media News. Aleksandre Sukhitashvili, the head of Shida Kartli Regional Police, and other heads of District Police Departments of the region have been dismissed.

President Mikheil Saakashvili explained that these dismissals were made in light of the involvement of the above-mentioned officers in large-scale smuggling with Ossetian separatists. A criminal case has been brought against them and, according to the president, he himself will supervise the investigation of the cases.

“I have information about the direct or indirect involvement of the heads of the District Police Departments in smuggling, whereas16 soldiers have died in this region exactly for the purpose of eradicating smuggling” – stated the president.

He also noted: “There is a mafia established in the region which is trying to find new ways of smuggling”.

The president gave orders to the heads of law enforcement bodies to entirely change the leadership of the Special Operation Team in Shida Kartli; to establish a new special group, which will control the transporting of loads on the roads. The process will be coordinated by Mikheil Kareli, Governor of Shida Kartli and Vano Merabishvili, Minister of the Interior.

“We retained working positions for some of the policemen who worked during Shevardnadze’s time, because we needed professionals and decided to give them the chance to do their job,” said Saakashvili.  “However, the police have been changed, and I wonder how this type of person could still be there. I will not allow new ways of smuggling to be opened and where it is necessary to give a punch, I will give a punch.”