Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Kakhaber Sabanadze resigned earlier today amid reports from Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli TV channels on illegal surveillance and hampering an opposition protest back in 2019. 

The TV channels released an interview of a former employee of the State Security Service, currently imprisoned Vano Gulashvili, who says that he damaged the opposition’s projector in central Tbilisi on June 20 during the rallies and that he illegally installed cameras in the houses of different individuals according to the demands of Sabanadze and other top officials. 

 In a Facebook post Sabanadze has called for 'an unbiased and comprehensive' investigation into the allegations, and stated that he resigned to ensure trust in the investigation process. 

I believe my decision will be an example for other officials to act in line with high responsibility standards in the case of questions towards them,” Sabanadze said. 

Mtavari Arkhi says that they recorded the interview with Gulashvili back in November 2019 when Gulashvili was still free. 

The channel reports that Gulashvili was arrested shortly after giving the interview for disclosing a state secret.

Gulashvili was cited as saying that he was tired of his job. 

The channel said that Gulashvili accepted the interview because he disliked his job and promised to provide evidence which could confirm his allegations. 

However, the channel says that Gulashvili was arrested shortly after. 

Mtavari Arkhi says that they decided to release the interview after the reports of TV Pirveli on  alleged release of personal videos from the State Security Service.

In the interview Gulashvili says that he was receiving demands from Sabanadze and Nikoloz Shanidze, who currently serves as the border police chief of the Interior Ministry. 

Gulashvili says that in 2014 he allegedly installed surveillance cameras in the house of former deputy Defence Minister Anna Dolidze, who later created a political party. 

He says that he also installed a virus on the laptop of head of Administration of All Muslims of Georgia Vagif Askerov to record his personal life. 

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the case earlier today.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Source - agenda.ge

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23.03.2021 10:47