City Hall Staff-Member Was Not Allowed into the Office

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

A leader of the Adjara branch office of the political party “Free Georgia” Merab Gogoberidze complains about politically motivated persecution against him. He said he was not allowed into the City Hall office. After physical clash with the security guard officers, patrol police arrested him for administrative violation. The incident occurred on January 31 in the entrance of the Batumi City Hall and City Council; both institutions are located in one building.

Merab Gogoberidze is an employee of the marketing service at the City Hall owned Ltd Batumi Auto-Transport. Gogoberidze said he holds document proving that he is works for the Ltd, but the security officer demanded him to take entrance permit as a guest. “I am a staff member of the City Hall and why should I take permit for the guest? The security officer not only blocked me, but even tore my waistcoat. They can get recording from video-cameras and see what happened. I think chairman of the City Council Irakli Chavleishvili ordered them not to let me into the building.”

Gogoberidze linked the incident with the protest of mortgagers from Batumi in the waiting room of the city council chairman; he was organizer of the protest.  Gogoberidze assumes, the Batumi City Council chairman ordered guard officers to severe protection of the building after the incident.

Chairman of the Batumi City Council did not respond to the accusations. Security officers of the City Hall did not comment on the fact and noted that they follow internal regulations. 

Patrol police detained Gogoberidze during the incident. He was judged for hooliganism and resistance to law enforcement officers (Articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia). Judge Ekaterine Jinchvelashvili at the Batumi City Court cancelled the case due to the lack of law-violation in the case.

Gogoberidze urges the Public Defender’s Office and nongovernmental organization to study the fact. He still could not enter the City Hall as an employee of the Ltd “Batumi Auto-Transport” today.