Former Deputy Head of State Security Service Arrested

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) confirmed to Civil.ge on July 16 that the former deputy head of the Security Service, Ioseb (Soso) Gogashvili, was arrested. According to the agency, Gogashvili is currently in a pre-trial detention center.

Law enforcement bodies have not yet issued an official statement about additional details regarding Gogashvili’s arrest.

Notably, his arrest was preceded by the dissemination of a secret audio recording by TV host and singer Gia Gachechiladze, who has had close ties with the government, of Mtavari Arkhi TV journalists discussing how to cover “secret files” given to them by Gogashvili.

The former deputy head of the SSG also authored a July 15 Facebook post after the distribution of the secret recording, which exposed authorities’ falsification of last year’s local elections and proclaimed that he has already provided evidence of the “entire structure” to media and other organizations. “What filth you are cooking. Till now, you blamed me for many things ruined and messed up by you. Now the past will return to haunt you and everyone (big and small) will have your share and you will not be able to blame me for this cooked-up filth,” he said.

News about the former SSG deputy head’s arrest was spread by media late last night. Per the reports, Gogashvili was taken in on July 16 at 1:00 AM as a result of a special operation.

According to Gogashvili’s wife, Tea Martkoplishvili, law enforcement officers planted a firearm under the bed and another in the closet, as well as a “flash drive, computer, written documents, and a hard drive” next to the bed.

Martyoplishvili claimed that law enforcement officers did not allow her to call an ambulance or a lawyer. “I have never seen something like this even in a movie,” she said.

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