Televised Arrest of ‘Corrupt Official’

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) arrested on July 2 an official from the Healthcare Ministry for allegedly taking a USD 1,200 bribe.

According to the MIA, Zaza Koplatadze, the deputy head of the Medicine Regulatory Agency, was arrested for taking a bribe in exchange for securing a licence allowing the sale of a particular medicine in drugstores.

Georgian TV stations showed Soso Topuridze, the deputy chief of the Department for Constitutional Security at the Interior Ministry, accompanied by TV crews, marching into Koplatadze’s office and telling him that he was being arrested for taking a bribe. Scenes of this type – featuring Topuridze telling alleged corrupt officials that they were being arrested – were common on Georgian TV stations up to several months ago.

“No one should assume that we have softened our struggle against corruption,” Topuridze said at a press conference afterwards.

Shortly after his arrest, Koplatadze was hospitalized with a heart attack. Healthcare Minister Sandro Kvitashvili told journalists that Koplatadze’s “health condition is stable.”

The Interior Ministry also said that founder of a company, who allegedly bribed the Healthcare Ministry official was also arrested.

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