Chief of Intelligence Service of Georgia resigns
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, January 29
Head of the Georgian Intelligence Service and the Secretary of the National Security Council Levan Izoria has resigned.
According to him, it was decided in December last year that he would continue to serve as Georgia's ambassador to Germany and that he would write a resignation statement by the end of January, that has already been submitted to the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia.
Izoria denied media reports that the resignation is somehow linked to the recently released video, recorded in 2014, depicting his brother’s dispute with a law enforcer. At that time, Izoria served as the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. In the video, Vakhtang Izoria verbally assaults a police officer and threatens that he will be fired from work for stopping him allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Giorgi Dvalishvili, a former police officer who detained Izoria’s brother, says that after the incident, he was prosecuted – demoted, ordered to move to Samegrelo and later transferred to the HR department on the pretext of reorganization. Thus, for the moment he is unemployed. According to the prosecutor's office, the investigation was launched on the basis of Giorgi Dvalishvili's statement.
Izoria slammed recent allegations by Dvalishvili, former police officer, as a “political show.” He said that Former Police Officer Dvalishvili, who detained his brother for hooliganism and disobeying the police in 2014, was promoted several times and “his accusations of political prosecution (for the detention of Izoria’s brother) are invented.”
Former chief of intelligence said that he learned about the incident only after it ended and he “never forced law enforcers to release his brother.” Levan Izoria also criticized the opposition for calling the resignation a “demotion” and dismissed their accusations of “concealing a crime.”
“In December, it was decided that I will continue my work in the Federal Republic of Germany as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. I accepted this proposal with pleasure. Internal procedures began in December,” said Izoria, adding that being the country’s new ambassador to Germany is a new challenge, honor and a big responsibility for him.
According to him, the request for the agreement has been sent and the response is expected in mid- February. It is likely that he will arrive there at the end of February.
Levan Izoria will replace Elguja Khokrishvili as the country’s new ambassador to Germany. Khokrishvili became an ambassador in 2017. Izoria was appointed as the head of the Intelligence Service last September, replacing Davit Sujashvili. After Izoria’s quitting, the post of the Secretary of the National Security Council will also become vacant because Izoria also performed these duties in his capacity of Chief of Intelligence.
He previously served as the country's defense minister, as deputy interior minister and deputy head of the State Security Service.
