Badri Bitsadze

Who is Badri Bitsadze?

Badri Bitsadze is the former Chief of the Border Police of Georgia. He holds the rank of Lieutenant General, and previously held the posts of Chief Military Prosecutor, Deputy General Prosecutor, and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. He is married to the former Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia and the twice former interim President of Georgia, Nino Burjanadze. ]. Bitsadze has been involved in several controversies allegedly concerning separation of powers and charges he made of corruption involving military funds, as well as charges of blackmail levelled against him by opposition elements.

Bitsadze attended Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Law and received a Ph.D from USSR Scientific Institute for Prosecutors. He's a recipient of the III Degree Vakhtang Gorgasali Order award.

Bitsadze resigned his position on October 29, 2008, claiming that a campaign to discredit the agency was underway because his wife, the former parliamentary chairperson, had withdrawn into opposition to the current government.

Later that year, Bitsadze became involved with his wife's newly founded party Democratic Movement–United Georgia. In March 2009, several party activists, including a driver of Badri Bitsadze, were arrested by the Georgian police on arms charges. Burjanadze said after the Interior Ministry's statement that she was ready to cooperate with the investigation, but claimed that evidence put forth by the investigation was not enough and needed further scrutiny.