The Prosecutor General of Georgia, Giorgi Gvarakidze, opened the Conference of Prosecutors and Investigative Officers of Georgia, at which three new prosecutor members of the Prosecutorial Council were elected.

Giorgi Gvarakidze spoke about the significance of the Prosecutorial Council to the work of the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, extended his thanks to the outgoing members for their service, and wished the nominated candidates every success.

“The existence of the Prosecutorial Council has brought yet another positive experience to the Prosecutor’s Office, namely, a culture of collegiate decision-making and the implementation of the will of the majority. I thank the candidates for their willingness to take on additional responsibility. Your future decisions as Council members will shape not only the future of the Prosecutor’s Office’s staff, but criminal justice policy and the future of the country as a whole,” said Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze.

The Chair of the Prosecutorial Council, Londa Bichikashvili, spoke about the work of the outgoing members, noting that the decisions they had taken had served the development of the Prosecutor’s Office, the protection of colleagues’ rights, the upholding of human rights, and the enhancement of public trust in the institution. She highlighted the qualifications, extensive experience and dedication of the candidates, wished them well, and expressed confidence that each of them would prove capable of supporting the Prosecutor’s Office in functioning independently, transparently and effectively.

The terms of office of the three outgoing prosecutor members of the Prosecutorial Council, Shota Tkeshelashvili, Ekaterine Kharebava and Alexandre Mukyasashvili, had expired.

Six candidates, put forward by initiative groups, presented their visions to conference delegates.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia, the election of Prosecutorial Council members from among the candidates nominated by initiative groups was conducted by secret ballot, by a majority of votes cast by prosecutors and investigative officers. The newly elected members are: Ia Chkheidze, Senior Prosecutor of the Strategic Development Division of the Department for Oversight of Prosecutorial Activities and Strategic Development at the Prosecutor General’s Office; Shota Kvachantidze, Deputy Head of the Department for Procedural Supervision of Investigations at the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Central Criminal Police Department; and Vano Okropridze, Head of the Prosecutorial Division of the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the Organic Law of Georgia on the Prosecutor’s Office, eight of the fifteen elected members of the Prosecutorial Council are prosecutors, who are elected by secret ballot at the Conference of Prosecutors of Georgia. The term of office of a Prosecutorial Council member is four years. The Prosecutorial Council safeguards the independence and transparency of the Prosecutor’s Office.