Government increases compensation for families of police officers killed on duty
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, April 9
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili stated that new social benefits will be introduced for policemen who are killed while on duty.
The statement came after the murder of police officer Beka Margishvili a couple of days ago, and the claims of the opposition United National Movement( UNM) that a one-time compensation for the policemen should be equal to the allowance of soldiers killed in military operations (100,000 GEL).
Gharibashvili criticized the UNM and said that the initiative concerning the growth of the compensation (currently 15,000 GEL) belonged to the government, and a draft has already been sent to parliament.
“The UNM had been in power for nine years, and they did not have a solution to this issue. We have spend millions of GEL for soldiers and their families’ welfare,” Gharibashvili said.
He also stressed that the government will buy a flat for the police officer’s child, as Margishvili lived in a rented apartment and was the only breadwinner in his family.
According to the State Chancellery, apart from the one-time financial support, the families of policemen killed on the job will receive 1,000 GEL monthly.
Meanwhile, the police search for the murder suspect is ongoing.
Interior Minister Vaghrang Gomelauri states that there is no news concerning the 38-year-old Shalva Abuladze, who was previously convicted of attacking two police officers in Borjomi – one of whom later died from his injuries.
Gomelauri claims Abuladze has not crossed the border.
The wounded police officer’s health condition, who was gunned down together with Margishvili, remains critical, doctors say.
