Briefing of the director of the Central Criminal Police Department, Teimuraz Kupatadze
On May 4 of the current year, the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation into the facts of the cyberattack on the websites of various state agencies, namely the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Parliament of Georgia.
Within the frames of the ongoing investigation, on May 9 of the current year, law enforcement officers searched the apartments of U.A. (DoB 1984), and M.I. (DoB 1987)- who is legally married to U.A.
Through the conducted investigation, it was established that U.A. together with M.I. who are in registered marriage, intended to illegally obtain and store the secrets of private lives of various individuals, in particular, the materials depicting an intimate relationship.
For this purpose, the residential apartment of M.I. located in on Eristavi Street, N7, on the tenth floor, was secretly equipped with video-audio recording devices, which secretly ensured the illegal recording of the latter's intimate relationship with various individuals.
The recording devices were installed in different parts of the living room, including household items and appliances.
In addition, M.I.'s contact information was placed on those internet websites where sexual services are offered.
After an agreement or a meeting was arranged with a particular person and he arrived at the mentioned apartment, the accused person illegally obtained and kept records of the intimate relationship through specially installed devices on the regular basis.
The accused persons illegally obtained and stored in their computer system information containing secrets of personal lives of hundreds of individuals.
Based on the study of the files containing materials with intimate content by the law enforcement officers, it has been established that citizens of Georgia and other countries are depicted in video footages.
It is worth noting that the above-mentioned records also include persons known to the public, whose filming was carried out illegally, without their permission, and therefore, the privacy of their private lives was violated.
As a result of the search, of UA's apartment located at Abashidze street N22 in Tbilisi, the police seized:
Mobile phones, computer equipment, cameras, external memory cards, so-called "Winchesters", as well as video recorders, drones, video surveillance cameras, memory cards, sound recording equipment, sound amplification equipment, optics, etc.
The police also seized firearms and various special tools from the apartment of U.A., as well as military cartridges, which the detainee was keeping illegally.
According to the report of the ballistic expert assigned to the case, the seized weapons and cartridges belong to the category of firearms and ammunition and are suitable for use.
As for U.A.'s spouse, the law enforcement officers seized various types of computer and technical devices, as well as memory cards, from her apartment.
Herewith, on the basis of the court decision, information was requested from the devices, and as a result of its study and processing, it was determined that in the computer equipment of U.A. and devices carrying electronic information seized from the apartment of his spouse as a result of the conducted search, contained illegally obtained pornographic visual materials and personal secrets of others.
Different types of examinations will be conducted on the ongoing criminal case, including complex, habiscopic and computer-technical examinations.
Also, it is worth noting that within the frames of the investigation, a large number of files with intimate content depicting secrets of personal life were seized, which are being studied in order to identify the affected persons and conduct appropriate investigative actions with them.
The investigation is being conducted under Article 157 and Article 236 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, referring to illegal acquisition and storage of private life secrets and illegal purchase and storage of firearms and ammunition.
