Georgian Interior Ministry was infested by systemic crimes under old govt - minister
TBILISI. June 20 (Interfax) - Georgian Interior Minister Irakly Garibashvili has said that under the old government abuses at the Interior Ministry were systemic.
"An investigation is beginning in this direction but the materials that are already available, in particular, videotapes from a cache discovered in Western Georgia this week make it clear that the torture and rapes of certain individuals by policemen were not limited or spontaneous but were a systemic crime encouraged by the founders of the old regime, in particular, my predecessor as Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. We have reasons to suspect him of that and the tracks lead to him," Garibashvili said on a live program of Rustavi 2 channel on Wednesday.
The former Georgian prime minister and interior minister Merabishvili is now at detention facility awaiting trial on charges of corruption, abuse of power and embezzlement.
"We are starting an investigation to demonstrate to the whole world that there were systemic crimes at the Interior Ministry amounting not only to torture and rape but the collection of dirty laundry against political opponents, journalists and prominent public figures, Garibashvili said.
