Head of Penitentiary Department Responded to the Scheme of Criminal Lords’ Management

Interpresnews

National Movement published a Scheme of Prison Management by Criminal Lords. According to the UNM members, criminal lord Tariel Potskhveria, nickname Tarasa, rules the jail hospital. 

According to the National Movement’s scheme, Murman Tvildiani (nickname Khalva), Iraklia Malania, Iko Nokhadze, Kakha Gurgenidze and Edgar Mamedov rule the Ksani Prison. 

In Ksani, as UNM members claimed, Lasha Keburia supervises the general regime of the facility; Zakro Jangulashvili supervises punishment cells; Jaba Khosberuashvili and Avtandil Tavadze – canteen and Giorgi Ildani – medical unit.

According to the scheme, Armais Grigorian [nickname Maisa] supervises the so-called Tuberculosis Zone. 

Lasha Kvantaliani controls Geguti Prison; Miriana [nickname-Zhinvala] controls Rustavi Prison # 6.

Gela Terterashvili and Kirile Pkhakadze control Rustavi prison # 17, who were convicted for the murder of two police officers.

According to the same scheme, so called supervisors of the Gldani Prison are Zurab Noniashvili and Zurab Bregadze (nickname Prakola). The latter was convicted for the murder of UN office employee Maria Brilska, the UNM members claimed.

“So-called criminal lords exist in prisons; though unlike National Movement’s regime, prison administrators do not appoint them there,” head of Penitentiary Department Mikheil Gurtskaia told IPN when commenting on the information published by UNM on August 22.

Gurtskaia said the former government tried to replace so-called criminal lords in prisons and managed it only in Gldani prison, where they personally became criminals.

Head of Penitentiary Department said the fact that prisoners have leaders, is natural process and this problem is urgent in the penitentiary systems of all countries; however Gurtskaia said the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Aid of Georgia has already worked out mechanism to fight against the ideology.

“The Penitentiary Ministry made several statements with regard to the leaders’ institute. It is absolutely clear that criminal lords and leaders are in the penitentiary system, though National Movement tried its best to replace them and become criminals. They successfully managed it in Prison # 8 where they raped, tortured and killed people. In all other establishments, during UNM governance, criminal lords controlled the situation all the time. Unlike current administrations, old ones appointed criminal lords in the establishments and made deals with them,” Mikheil Gurtskaia said.

He added that UNM members used mechanisms of truncheons, physical assault, rape and intimidation and their control relied on these methods.

“Nowadays, prison administrations have no deals with criminal lords; but prison inmates nominate so-called criminal lords and leaders, it happens in penitentiary establishments of all countries. We fight against criminal lords not as individuals but we fight against ideology and unlike UNM, whose strategy was violence, rape and physical assault, we have developed special mechanisms, strategy and plan for it,” Gurtskaia said.

He said that manipulating with the allegation that there is violence in prison “is cynical and shameful statement whilst 800 persons were killed and dead in penitentiary system during their governance.”

“Violence has been reduced ten times. It was the style and form UNM’s activities to make deals with criminal world,” Mikheil Gurtskaia said.