Human Rights Centre disapproves groundless dismissals of patrol-inspectors

Salome Chkheidze

A press-conference was held  in the office of Human Rights Center on  dismissals of  patrol-inspectors from Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti patrol unit.  Representatives of the center as well as  former patrol  police  employees consider the dismissals illegal  and urge the Minister of  Interior Affairs  to investigate the fact.

Dismissed patrol-inspectors of  Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti patrol unit  applied to  Human Rights Center in February, 2013.  According to their statements, in November 2012, they were under pressure and were demanded  to  write a report  on  quitting  jobs on their own will.  As a result of pressure and  directives from  authorities, patrol employees were made to write job quitting statements on 30 November, 2012. 

„On 30 November 2012,  Head of Patrol Department Shalva Shengelia  summoned me  and demanded   to write a statement on  my transferring to human resources reserves. I refused to write a statement. After that, he treatened me with transferring my case to Prosecutors Office. I used to be under pressure in later periods and I was made to write a retirement statement at last. Like me, other  27 employees were also made to write statements. I asked the head of department why we were chosen for dismissals and not others, though, we did not receive any answer from him” – states former patrol employee Zurab Soselia.  

One more former patrol employee David Kholbaia confirms the same fact and says that  new employees appointed on their positions are unqualified and inexperienced. Dismissed employees had participated in many trainings and learning courses.   According to him, new employees  are not able to fulfill professional responsibilities which will lead to deterioration of  criminogenic situation. 

On 11 February, 2013 Human Rights Center  applied to the Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Garibashvili with an official  letter  in which  Minister was explained the case  circumstances and asked for the explanation on the grounds of  patrols’ dismissals.

„Little time ago,  in reply to the letter, we received an official correspondence  from  Head of  Public Information Bureau  of Administrative  Department within Ministry of Internal Affairs.  According to the letter, patrol-inspectors from Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti patrol unit were dismissed based on their personal retirement reports and are transferred to human resources reserves of  Chief  Personnel Management Unit within Ministry of Internal Affairs.

We consider that this kind of approach is not logical, because these people did not want to quit their jobs,  they were made to write  quitting statements and now Ministry officials use their personal retirement  letters as documents,” - states Executive Director of Human Rights Center Aleko  Tskitishvili.

According to him, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated that in public service as well as in patrol police no groundless dismissals of lower and average officials would take place.  Unfortunately,  we have this very fact. Dismissed employees had no other violations committed. 

Lawyer of Human Rights Center Eka Qobesashvili stated that after each coming of a new government in office, mass dismissals of employees from workplaces and their substitution by new  staff have been a harmful tradition which is inadmissible. According to the lawyer, these people are in a difficult situation, as they are transferred in human resources reserves department which really equals  to losing a job. State authority should react to the situation.

Human Rights Center disapproves this kind of practice, when patrol employees are dismissed from work groundlessly.  The organization publicly addresses Interior Minister  to get interested in the cases of mass dismissals of patrol officers  and restore them  on their positions.