The discovery of medical waste, including amputated human body parts, were found in an abandoned building in western Georgia, leading to the Prosecutor General’s Office charging three people with mishandling hazardous materials.
TV Pirveli reported on Thursday evening that residents of the village of Melauri in Samtredia municipality were seeking help after discovering surgical waste in an abandoned building, formerly used as a farm. They said that they noticed a strong stench emanating from the building.
‘The whole village is concerned [...] Surgical waste is scattered everywhere, filling the entire farm, and there’s a serious risk of an epidemic […] When will it be removed? As far as we know, it’s been there for over a month’, a local told TV Pirveli.
Following the report, the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement apparently referring to the case, saying law enforcement officials had detained the director of two different companies — Eco Medical Group and Ecology and Clean Environment LLC — along with one of their employees and a staff member of the municipality.
According to the agency, the detained director had set up an illegal hazardous waste storage site in a dilapidated building in Samtredia, where large quantities of medical waste dangerous to human health and the environment were temporarily stored.
The Interior Ministry later told OC Media that the detentions had taken place a few weeks before TV Pirveli aired its report, in early February. It remains unclear why the medical waste was still on the premises even after the arrests were made.
The channel reported that locals suspected that the amputated body parts had been taken from various clinics. TV Pirveli aired footage shot by residents showing large amounts of material, apparently packed in plastic bags.
The channel further stated that several people were working on the building premises, though their official role was unknown. In the footage, a masked individual can be heard telling locals, ‘It has to be taken away, I’ve assumed responsibility. The trucks are coming and I’m putting people to work. What more can I do?’.
According to TV Pirveli, locals had appealed to the municipal authorities earlier, but the issue remained unresolved, and the clean-up began only after the media crew arrived on site.
In parallel with journalists, the village representative also arrived. According to the channel, she said she had not been aware of the presence of amputated body parts there and promised a timely response.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has launched a criminal investigation into violations of rules governing the handling of hazardous substances or waste. The offence carries a minimum penalty of a fine or up to two years in prison, and with harsher penalties depending on the severity of the case.
