Victornia Panfilova, observer of Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Mikhail Saakashvili will return to Georgia only to “clean it from evil.” That’s how the former president reacted to a demand by the General Prosecution Service to attend an interrogation on March 27th.
Georgian prosecutors have questions for the former head of the state. This was predicted when Bidzina Ivanishvili, who changed the political situation in Georgia, stated that everybody is equal before the law, and if the law-enforcement agencies had questions for Saakashvili, he would have to give testimony, and if he was involved in them, he would have to account for his crimes.
Later, the statement was repeated by officials of various levels, but few people believed it could be fulfilled. Moreover, the West made it clear that such a scenario is undesirable, Saakashvili left for the West, and reinvestigation of sensational affairs or initiating criminal cases on hushed-up incidents have gained w non-accentuated character.
The sound of thunder was a surprise. A representative of the prosecution service stated that it would be reasonable to interrogate the former president about the divestiture of the Imedi TV-company from the family of late Badri Patarkatsishvili. Later, photos from Zurab Zhvania’s case appeared on the internet. And then the prosecution demanded that Saakashvili attend an interrogation.
Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili commented on the situation and strictly stated that Saakashvili roams the world, so may he buy a ticket to Georgia, as the law requires; if he doesn’t do so, the authorities will act according to the law, which requires the launch of a search.
Saakashvili responded nervously. He replied to a telephone call from Imedi and stated that the Georgian authorities are managed by the Kremlin, which is indignant with Saakashvili for his active liberation struggle in Ukraine. “I know and everybody knows that Ivanishvili left the position of the Premier to show that he isn’t hunting me down. It is not so. The whole world knows that he governs Georgia, and it was his order to interrogate me. He got 2 billion from the Kremlin to organize the overthrow in Georgia, and he did it. Now he has a new task from the Kremlin – to restrict my movements so that I don’t prevent Putin from his plans on reconstruction of the USSR, new slavery for free nations. I won’t come to Georgia on the orders of Putin-Ivanishvili and will continue fighting for a free Ukraine, Georgia, and our region. I will return only to liberate Georgia from the current so-called authorities and Ivanishvili, and it will happen soon,” Saakashvili announced.
The former defense minister, Bachana Akhalaya, who is imprisoned, urged Saakashvili on Facebook not to come back to Georgia where there is no law, only political repressions. Other supporters of the former president in the United National Movement considered that Saakashvili is preparing another revolution in Georgia. Their comments confirm that they want revenge.
Meanwhile, the authorities urge the population to calm down and “stop listening to the lame political movement and its leader who will face the law one day.” However, popular journalist Irma Inashvili urged society and the leadership to be watchful. According to her, the UNM is seriously preparing for big riots; they have enough money and special people for provocations are being trained. Inashvili promised to present documentary evidence that the former Georgian authorities have prepared their variant of the Maidan.
