TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Interior Ministry said March 21 that all armed groups are under the control of the government.

“There are no other armed units, cannot be and won’t be,” said Shota Utiashvilil, head of the Interior Ministry’s press and analytical department.

However, video footage was released on March 20 which shows the existence of illegal paramillitary groups.

The MIA’s statement was a respons to something said by the leader of the Free Democrats Irakli Alasania’s March 15 accusing the government of setting up illegal armed units.

On March 20 Alasania said the Free Democrats had detailed information about the location of these units, and about how they are illegally armed and financed. They got this information from people who care about their country and its future.

Alasania says this information has been gathering for months and had been rechecked. Today he can say with full responsibility that on the personal orders of Mikheil Saakashvili, the establishment of illegal armed units is in progress in western Georgia. Overseeing the groups are the clan of Akhalaias, conposed of Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, his brother Davit Akhalaia, which is head of one of the interior ministry’s departments and their father Roland Akhalaia, prosecutor in Samegrelo region.

Irakli Alasania sent documents proving his allegations to the Georgian Security Council asking for a reaction. For state security reason he did not publicize all the details. The Security Council has not yet commented.

On March 20, the Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia called Alasania’s statements nonsense.