According to information we have obtained, as of 11 December, 2012, 493 employees had been dismissed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs across the country, while 157 employees had been transferred to the Human Resources Department. The agency had recruited 186 new employees. The letter that includes this data is signed by the Deputy Head of the Public Information Bureau of the Ministry's Administrative Department, Teona Kozmanashvili.

In the letter the Ministry fails to provide reasons for either dismissing the staff, or for the transfer of employees to the Chief Human Resources Department.

Following the 2012 parliamentary elections, 27 employees of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Department of the Patrol Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia were transferred to the authority of the Chief Human Resources Department, where they will remain for 4 months. If their employment issues are not resolved by the end of this period, which in practice seems unlikely, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will dismiss these employees permanently.

Transparency International Georgia was directly informed about the transfers in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Department from those who had written applications to the Chief Human Resources Department. Irakli Tsaava, Zurab Soselia, Levan Jishkariani and Dazmir Janashia stated that they had been pressured into writing these applications for transfer, or else face direct dismissal. The management of the Department was replaced soon after the parliamentary elections. According to the officers, the new management asked them several times to write applications to transfer to the Human Resources Department, which they refused to do. Finally, they said that they were told "you don't meet our requirements and should leave".

Police officers told the representatives of TI Georgia’s Zugdidi office that the new management of the Department has even told them that officers serving during the reign of the UNM must leave. However, it is unclear to the patrol officers why the new management focused on these 27 employees, when during the previous administration the Department had several hundred employees.

Of the 27 employees mentioned, several have contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs in writing regarding reinstatement to their positions. Two of them have already received a response letter from the agency, in which the Deputy Head of the Department for Human Resources and Financial Logistics of the Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the Head of the Human Resources Department, Zaza Chilaia) writes that, due to forthcoming staff reorganization in the Patrol Police Department, the issue of the employment of officers transferred to the Human Resources Department cannot be considered at this stage.

We enclose the copies of these letters: one addressee is Zurab Soselia, and the other is Davit Kolbaia (those two PDF files should be attached here).

Below is the list of employees transferred from the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Department to the Chief Human Resources Department during November-December 2012:

1. Malkhaz Kharchilava

2. Levan Tordia

3. Lasha Lataria

4. Zurab Soselia

5. Levan Jishkariani

6. Davit Kolbaia

7. Giorgi Gegelia

8. Paata Siria

9. Dazmer Janashia

10. Lasha Kilasonia

11. Zviad Beraia

12. Irakli Tsaava

13. Davit Gulua

14. Elvard Akhalaia

15. Irakli Churghulia

16. Vaso Bechvaia

17. Giorgi Aronia

18. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

19. Levan Tkebuchava

20. Irakli Partsvania

21. Temur Lashkhia

22. Zurab Kukava

23. Vano Lipareishvili

24. Giorgi Bulia

25. Pridon Abaishvili

26. Lasha Inalishvili

27. Davit Ghvinjilia 

Additionally, another 130 employees in the rest of the country were transferred to the Chief Human Resources Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs after the parliamentary elections.

Transparency International Georgia acknowledges that during the pre-election period certain representatives of law-enforcement units failed to react adequately to offences committed against the activists of the then opposition party, and also committed offences themselves by persecuting citizens for political beliefs. Nevertheless, TI Georgia calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to publicize and make transparent the reasons for dismissing employees or for transferring them to the Chief Human Resources Department. In addition, an inquiry should be conducted into the cases of pressure used against the policeman and the protection of rights of the victims should be ensured.