The Prosecutor's Office has arrested an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for exceeding his official authority.

In particular, according to the Prosecutor's Office, the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs exceeded his official authority and, without any legal grounds, decided to inspect the mobile phone of a minor in order to find the so-called location photo proving the placement of drugs in it.

In addition, according to them, the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs demanded that the minor unlock the mobile phone and hand it over to him, to which the minor refused. Irritated by this, he verbally abused the minor, threatened to arrest him and tried to force him to unlock the mobile phone, which he failed to do.

“The investigation conducted by the Investigation Department of the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office established that on February 10, a minor was moving in the vicinity of the Nadzaladevi metro station, when, for the purpose of verification, he was stopped by officers of the Gldani-Nadzaladevi district police department. The police officers carried out police measures provided for by the Law of Georgia on the Police, interviewing the minor in order to identify him.

The minor fully reported his identity to the police officers. Deputy Head of the Department L.Kh., who was on the scene, knew that the person stopped by the police officers was a minor and, accordingly, any investigative/procedural action against him required the presence of a legal representative, as well as the grounds provided for by the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia. Despite the above, L.Kh. exceeded his official authority and without legal grounds he decided to search the minor's mobile phone in order to find the so-called location photo proving the placement of drugs in it.

For this, L.Kh. demanded that the minor unlock the mobile phone and hand it over to him, to which the minor refused. Irritated by this, L.Kh. verbally abused the minor, threatened to arrest him and tried to force him to unlock the mobile phone, which he failed to do.

Throughout this process, the minor requested to invite his legal representative and in this case expressed his willingness to give L.Kh. the opportunity to look in his mobile phone,” reads the information.