Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri denies illegal wiretapping allegations
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, September 16, 2022
Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri responded to Soso Gogashvili's statement claiming that the State Security Service of Georgia is carrying out illegal wiretapping.
The Minister of Internal Affairs denied all the accusations of Gogashvili and said that Soso Gogashvili does not know Bidzina Ivanishvili personally and could not order him to wiretap citizens; Minister added that law enforcement agencies wiretap citizens only within the framework of investigative actions, on the basis of a judicial decree.
"[Gogashvili's statement] is a lie, a complete lie.
Mr. Bidzina could not instruct him in any way, he did not know him. How can you imagine, I was the supervisor there, why would he instruct someone he didn't know? Or how would he instruct, or what should he instruct? He did not know this person personally. He didn't instruct me, how could he instruct me? What he says, I sent it to Mr. Bidzina and he asked - I don't know, was I on vacation? - We sent the Prime Minister and Kobakhidze to Mr. Bidzina, he said. Illegal wiretapping is excluded, it is not being carried out.
What is the law, a lot of operational material that an agent brings, one man cannot read it. If I were to sit in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ask what materials are coming in, there should be at least three Gomelauris to read so many materials.
The topic is worked on, if it is important, then it is brought up to the supervisor. If something is important, I go up and report it to the Prime Minister, I don't send papers. That's how it happens in the State Security Service too," said Gomelauri.
Vakhtang Gomelauri says that Beka Mamardashvili, who, according to Gogashvili, sent him letters, was an employee of the agency, although he has nothing to do with the hearings.
"He worked with us [at SSS], he was the deputy head of the department. When I left, he soon left. He was one of the most skilled programmer. He was helping the service agency, updating cameras, facial recognition... he had nothing to do with wiretapping," explained the Minister of Internal Affairs.
According to Gomelauri, he does not know why Ioseb Gogashvili tells so many lies about him and refuses to talk about reasons for Gogashvili leaving the State Security Service and "Georgian Dream".
The former deputy head of the State Security Service, Soso Gogashvili, published another statement on the social network describing the system of illegal wiretapping by the State Security Service of Georgia.
A former high-ranking official writes that the scope of wiretapping increased during the "Georgian Dream" period, and approximately 2,000 operational workers are involved in illegal wiretapping.
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications Networks) is being wiretapped, as well as through viruses, applications, and computers. Gogashvili also wrote that it is possible to equip the offices.
"The office of the president, the offices of opposition parties, NGOs, international missions, religious denominations, etc. are controlled," Gogashvili wrote.
