Claims about the impunity of criminal behavior among law enforcement officers — often accompanied by statements that “the investigation is ongoing” — have become a cliché in many cases, said Mamuka Mdinaradze, candidate for State Minister and Vice Prime Minister, on Imedi LIVE.

“Let’s admit that sometimes such statements are used to avoid responsibility in difficult situations,” Mdinaradze noted.

According to him, it is essential to identify and punish individual offenders within law enforcement so that isolated violations do not undermine the broader work carried out by officers.

“I say this with full responsibility — once I am appointed, I will have my own response and coordination on these and other cases, including specific examples like this. At this stage, I cannot make definitive statements, as preliminary evidence has already been reviewed, but further coordination is needed to ensure such cases are examined in greater depth and that those responsible are identified and held accountable.

On the one hand, we must value the work of police officers and other law enforcement personnel for their service. On the other hand, if someone discredits that service, these individual cases must be exposed so they do not overshadow the important work being done,” Mdinaradze said.

He referred to alleged misconduct by law enforcement officers during the 2024 protests and pledged stronger oversight and prevention measures.

“We can all recall the footage from the 2024 events, which remain relevant today. We have reflected on these issues extensively, and it is deeply troubling to see instances where a law enforcement officer uses excessive force, including kicking a person who has already fallen, or targeting a journalist. I have spoken about this many times before.

Now, given my current and future responsibilities, I can speak more decisively. In the future, such incidents must be prevented without exception. I will also take an interest in past cases once I assume the authority of State Minister and Vice Prime Minister for the Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies,” Mdinaradze stated.