Financial Police Re-Establishment Endorsed
The Parliament approved with its final hearing the draft law envisaging re-establishing a semi-autonomous structure within the Financial Ministry to take “effective” measures against the economic crimes.
The new structure, under the name Investigative Service of the Finance Ministry, will start functioning from December 1, 2009, after the draft is law is approved with its second and third readings.
President of Georgia will have the right to appoint or dismiss head of the Investigative Service of the Finance Ministry. The new structure will be eligible to create a network of its undercover agents.
The new structure will resemble the one, which existed at the ministry in 2004-2006 – Financial Police.
The Financial Police, which was opponents’ frequent target of criticism for its high-handed tactics, merged with the tax and customs departments of the Finance Ministry from January, 2007. When President Saakashvili first announced about having plans to reform the Financial Police in August, 2006, he said the authorities’ attempts to “decriminalize financial relations” between the state and entrepreneurs was a major motive behind the initiative.
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