Police starts fulfilling PM’s task on investigating alleged prostitution at nightclubs

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says they have already started working on fulfilling the Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili’s task of investigating alleged cases of prostitution at central Tbilisi clubs, where Georgian men are not allowed.

Deputy Interior Minister Shalva Khutsishvili said the results of the investigation would be immediately revealed to the public.

The PM has stressed he was informed that underage Georgian females are involved in prostitution in some nightclubs, where Georgian men are not allowed in.

Kvirikashvili said that the alleged cases are a double violation of the law – the prostitution of under-aged persons and discrimination against Georgian men.

The PM’s statement has divided the public in two, with some criticizing the Prime Minister and accusing him of interference in private businesses and others applauding his words.

UNM member Roman Gotsiridze says it is “completely up to the owners of the clubs who are allowed and who aren’t at their properties”.

The opposition member claims that such statements may hamper investments.

“If the Government wants to eradicate prostitution in the country it must provide key economic changes and ensure welfare for its citizen. However, if it says that prostitution exists in all developed countries and it is part of human existence then it [the government] must regulate the issue as it is regulated in developed countries,” Gotsiridze said.

Georgian media has reported on alleged prostitution at central Tbilisi clubs for several years; however, the Government showed interest in the issue only recently.

It is unlikely that the Interior Ministry or the country’s key officials did not have any information about the alleged violations a year or several years ago.

The same day when the PM made the statement over the issue, Georgia agreed to an unfavourable deal with Russia over the transit gas pay.

However, the top story of the day on TV or in social media was the prostitution issue and not allowing Georgian men at nightclubs so as not to cause tensions there.

One may be suspicious that the statement served the aim of shifting attention to other issues when the Government could not protect state interests in negotiations with Russia, or the fact that the country faces hard economic and national currency problems.