TBILISI, Georgia — Georgian prosecutors have arrested five senior police officers on charges linked to a recent election won by the opposition.
The
prosecutor’s office said Thursday that Levan Kardava, the head of the
Interior Ministry’s constitutional security department, was arrested
overnight along with the four other officers.
They face
accusations in connection with last month’s parliamentary election won
by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition, which unseated
President Mikhail Saakashvili’s party. Charges include illegal
detentions and damaging equipment belonging to Ivanishvili’s Channel 9
television.
The move follows the arrest earlier this month of
Bacho Akhalaia, a former defense and interior minister, who was accused
of abusing servicemen in a case his supporters called politically
motivated.
Ivanishvili, who became Georgia’s prime minister, has repeatedly promised to investigate Saakashvili-appointed officials accused of abusing their powers.
