Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is serving a prison sentence after being charged in a multimillion-lari corruption case, has published a letter claiming that the case against him was politically motivated and intended to prevent his possible return to politics.
In the letter, Garibashvili says the main purpose of the so-called “fight against corruption” campaign launched last year was to imprison him and “destroy” him politically.
“I want to tell the public the truth about why I am in prison. The main purpose of the so-called ‘fight against corruption’ campaign launched last year was to put me in prison and destroy me politically,” Garibashvili wrote.
He claimed that he had done everything possible to avoid confrontation with his former political team and with a person “dear” to him. Garibashvili claimed that this was why he chose not to pursue a legal battle and instead accepted a process that he described as personally devastating, saying he did not want to harm the interests of the state or his former team.
“Unfortunately, what I received in return was a staged, dirty provocation, many lies and injustice. The public has not heard a single word from me throughout this entire period. I endured this ordeal with complete patience,” he said.
Garibashvili also referred to a letter he says he received in July from Mamuka Mdinaradze and published publicly on Monday. Former prime minister claims that he informed Mdinaradze on the same day that he had no intention of returning to politics and proposed his own approach to addressing concerns about such a possibility.
Garibashvili claims he was subsequently told that there was still a “1% risk” that he could return to politics and that, because of this, it was necessary to bring corruption charges against him and have him admit guilt.
“This was the red line that made me take the most difficult step of my life. Accordingly, since I have no other way out, they are forcing me to begin a fight,” Garibashvili wrote.
