Family Members of Police Officers Have Free Holidays in the Hotels Arranged in Police Stations

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Family members of police officers rest in the building of Gonio police office. The local budget covers the communal expenses of the police office. Nongovernmental organization evaluates the fact is indirect corruption.

Gonio police office, which is not glassy and transparent, has boards indicating that it is police office on both sides. There is hotel from in the central part. But before entering the building, you cannot find hotel tablet on the façade. Police office is working on the backspace. Part of the building was made into hotel two years ago. Before that, administration of Gonio community was functioning in it.

The rest-rooms are located on the second floor of the building. There is a conference hall there. Currently, family members of Rustavi and Telavi police officers rest in the hotel. They did not wish to speak about the issue.

Gonio police officers cannot answer why the building of a state institution was made into a hotel and why family members of the law enforcement bodies rest there. The police officers suggested us to get in touch with the MIA press-center.

The hotel has its administration. Administrator Avto Beridze confirmed with us that family members of police officers have free holidays there. “It is hotel of the MIA. Our officers arrive here in summer and they rest here for free with their families.”

Head of public relation department of the MIA Salome Makharadze told us on the phone that this hotel is separate institution. “The hotel is on separate balance of the MIA and it is not functioning in the building of police station. It is separate institution. I have not seen the building myself but as I found out, they are separate offices. If you need detailed information, please send official letter to us.”

Head of Adjara organization of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association Parmen Jalagonia thinks opening hotel in the police office is indirect corruption: “Police can have a hotel for its personnel to stay in when they are on business trips. However, when money is spent on the rest of their family members, it is ineffective expenditure of budget funds. In fact, it is indirect corruption because public institution runs hotel in its office for the family members of its personnel.”

It is noteworthy that thousands of lari is allocated for the police service in the district budgets. Last year, Human Rights Center carried out research on this issue Why police is funded from local budgets.  The amount of funding varies in different districts from 10 000 up to 40 000 lari.

Last year, Gonio police subordinated to Khelvachauri district administration. In 2011, 40 000 lari was allocated for the police service from the local budget. That time chairman of the Khelvachauri municipal board Malkhaz Partenadze said they paid communal expenses of district police department.