Criminal Situation in Kakheti Region Has Worsened

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

The criminal situation in Kakheti region has worsened seriously. According to our information, from January 1 to March 20 of 2009 the number of grave crimes has increased in the region. Despite that, Kakheti main department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs state that the number of crimes has reduced in comparison with last year; besides that, the number of resolved crimes is increased too. However, neither the department nor the ministry release statistic data on interested people though they are obliged to preserve transparency of the information. It must be pointed out that several victims, who applied to district police stations, were refused to start investigation on their appeals.

Several days ago, 17-year-old Giorgi Samkharadze killed 69-year-old Lida Zoziashvili. The accident happened in the village of Bodbiskhevi. Giorgi Samkharadze claims that Zoziashvili used to scold him all the time and she scolded him before the murder too that irritated Samkharadze. He killed the woman. Kakheti regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating the accident. Police has already arrested Samkharadze.

Another murder happened in Sighnaghi. Giorgi Nikvashvili wounded Goderdzi Jankarashvili, pupil of Public School # 3 near the Sighnaghi police station. Goderdzi Jankarashvili died several hours after he was taken to hospital.

Murder occurred in the village of Shilda in Kvareli district. Unidentified people tied up 67-year-old Givi Markozashvili to the tree; the victim was watchman of the lake; Markozashvili was initially ruthlessly beaten and then murdered. According to one version, the watchman forbade the strangers to fish in the lake and it turned into a quarrel. Investigation was launched under Article 108 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (premeditated murder). Kakheti main department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is leading the investigation.

In the village of Kandaura in Sagarejo district a young man initially raped his old relative, then killed her and threw the body of the dead woman away in the garden.

Several days ago, in the village of Vejini in Gurjaani district, 42-year-old Spartak Bejitashvili killed his neighbor 25-year-old Gia Tsankashvili. Family members of the dead person said Dima Mamismedashvili was together with Bejitashvili during the murder; Mamismedashvili has criminal record but law enforcers have not arrest him for this crime.

25-year-old Gocha Jishkariani is still unconscious in hospital; he was ruthlessly beaten in the village of Gurjaani in Gurjaani district on March 8.

The abovementioned facts are only small list of grave crimes that have occurred in Kakheti region in 2009. We could not get information about exact number of grave crimes that happed in the region from January 1 to March 20, 2009. Irakli Kadagidze, head of the Kakheti regional main department of the MIA, ordered district departments to block statistic data and they claim the freedom of information that is prescribed by the law does not work for this kind of information.

Representatives of Kakheti regional office of the Human Rights Center state that recently, several victims were refused to start investigation on their appeals. “The purpose of the police is not prevention of the crime but resolution of the committed crimes and then they will show off before us with the statistics about “high level of resolved crimes” once a year whenever they need it. Many people applied to us who had appealed to police stations but law enforcement bodies refused to start investigation. The fact demonstrates that police does not want to spoil statistic data. As for the worsened criminal situation in the region, we should say that the situation was worse even in the capital when Irakli Kadagidze was head policeman there. Since Kadagidze was appointed as the head of Kakheti regional department he employed the people who fail to prevent the crime. The situation is urgent in regard with less grave and light crimes. Many facts of thievery occur in the region; farmers are robbed in the villages,” stated representatives of Kakheti office of Human Rights Center.

Kakheti regional department of the MIA does not comment on the statements of the Human Rights Center.