Georgia Minister dismisses 200 high-ranked police officers

Two hundred high-ranking officers of Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs retired Tuesday, reportedly on orders from Giorgy Baramidze, Georgia's minister of internal affairs.

As a Rosbalt reporter learned at the ministry, most of those leaving were heads of regional and district units of the ministry. The mass departure of high-ranking police officers is part of a general overhaul of the system, the ministry said.

According to another view of the situation, Baramidze acted to rid the ministry of officers implicated in corruption and bribe-taking. However, the 'purge' included appointees designated after the revolution by the new Georgian authorities. They are expected eventually to rejoin the ministry.