Ruling Party Names Picks for Special Investigation, Personal Data Agencies

Georgian Dream Executive Secretary, MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has said the ruling party MPs will vote tomorrow for Karlo Katsitadze and Lela Janashvili as the chiefs of forthcoming Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection agencies, respectively.

The two offices will succeed the State Inspector’s Service, an outspoken independent agency tasked with monitoring personal data protection and probing abuse of power, that GD abolished in a matter of a week in late December.

35-year-old Karlo (Koka) Katsitadze has until now served as the Head of Department for Procedural Guidance over Investigation in the State Inspector at the Prosecutor’s Office at the Prosecutor’s Office.

51-year-old Lela Janashvili, GD’s pick for the Personal Data Protection Service, works as Associate Professor of Law at Tbilisi State University. Janashvili holds PhD in Law from The Autonomous University of Barcelona.

At the press briefing following the meeting of the parliamentary majority this evening, MP Mdinaradze hailed the merits of both Katsitadze and his competitor, fellow prosecutor Emzar Gagnidze. But he said Katsitadze was picked for his experience as the head of prosecutor’s department tasked with liaison with the outgoing State Inspector’s Service.

As things stand, major opposition forces are not expected to endorse either candidates tomorrow.

United National Movement MP Khatia Dekanoidze questioned the degree of independence Katsitadze would exercise in his new role, slamming him as “the real servant” of Irakli Shotadze, Prosecutor General.

But at the Parliamentary Legal Committee hearing today, Katsitadze retorted: „If [the State Inspector’s] Service, led by former prosecutors, worked independently and deserved your acclaim, why would the logic work the other way around in my case?!”

Lawsuit in the Constitutional Court

The central government’s commission selected three nominees per each position on February 4 and sent the candidacies to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The Prime Minister then shortlisted two candidates for every posting for the Parliamentary approval.

The selection process comes as outgoing State Inspector Londa Toloraia has lodged an appeal at Georgia’s Constitutional Court against the disbanding of her office.

Toloraia argues, among others, that terminating her authority before her six-year term was up and kicking off the selection for the chiefs of two new bodies, contravened Article 25 of Georgian Constitution on the right to hold public office.

A week ago, following the meeting with Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan highlighted the importance that “the Constitutional Court have a chance to conclude the case before new candidates are selected for these very important positions.”

“They need to be independent. They need to be very well qualified heads of these agencies. We hope that this will not be a rushed process,” noted Ambassador Degnan.

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