Interior Ministry expenditure criticized
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, November 30
A local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), says that between January-October 2013, the total amount of bonuses issued by Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) amounted 6,969,892 GEL.
The IDFI reports they had been requesting this information since June 2014, but the Ministry provided the organization with the data only when the IDFI and another NGO, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), jointly addressed Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office and demanded an investigation into the fact in November 2016.
However, the NGO says the data provided by the ministry is not complete, and only covers the period from January to October of 2013.
“The ten-month data shows that the bonuses issued by Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2013 amounted 6, 969, 892 GEL and the highest sum 880, 736 GEL was issued only in October,” the organization said.
The report of gnd IDFI gives detailed information as to which departments of the MIA received bonuses and how much they were worth.
According to the NGO, Interior Ministry Central Office officials received 2,325,789 GEL in bonuses in total, while Patrol Police Department officials received 492,675 GEL.
Special and Emergency Operations Center employees received 1, 174, 894 as bonuses and the Central Criminal Police Department staff were given a total of 389, 170 GEL.
“The employees of the Territorial Bodies of the MIA were given a total of 714, 375 GEL, including Tbilisi Main Department whose officials got 714, 375 GEL bonuses,” the IDFI says.
The NGO expressed concern that the MIA provided their expenses data only after the order of the Prosecutor’s Office.
“The public has the right to receive data about the use of state funds without any delays,” the report of the IDFI reads.
Moreover, the NGO says that the MIA Officials did not present complete information in their property declarations and major violations have been observed in this filed.
“According to the Criminal Code of Georgia, providing incorrect or incomplete data in the property declaration is punishable by law,” the NGO stressed.
The IDFI calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to study the findings, and in case the crime is proved carry out proper actions.
Under Article 335 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, the submission of inaccurate or incorrect data in the property declaration is punishable by imposing fines or socially useful labor for a period from 100 up to 200 hours or by suspension of working rights up to three years.
