Georgian public advocate calls for investigation into allegations of arrested former security official

Georgian Public Advocate, Nino Lomjaria, on Friday called on law enforcement agencies to look into allegations of arrested former head of Georgia’s State Security Service Soso Gogashvili, who claimed on Thursday that the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, “threatened him” by “attacking his family” if the former official refused to provide a desirable testolomy. 

In a statement released earlier today, Lomjaria called on the law enforcement agencies “to ensure the physical integrity and safety of Gogashvili’s family within the scope of their competence” during the investigation. 

The former security official, who held the post between 2015 and 2018 under the Georgian Dream authorities, was charged with abuse of authority, illegally obtaining, storing, distributing personal data and illegal purchase and storage of firearms and ammunition last month.

Footage depicting his arrest was filmed by his wife and released on social media. 

The family insisted that the law enforcement planted firearms, documents and various information items, including a laptop and memory cards during the search.  

Gogashvili’s lawyer said that the “arrest on political grounds” was related to Gogashvili’s plans to publicise information about  the “voter fraud”,” the materials “which are now abroad and will be released anyway in the coming days.”