Former Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Vakhtang Gomelauri, appeared at the Prosecutor’s Office on Friday after being summoned for questioning regarding the opening of a police checkpoint in the village of Chorchana in 2019 — a move that has sparked political debate and scrutiny.
Speaking briefly to reporters, Gomelauri stated that he had been opposed to the opening of the checkpoint, but did not elaborate further.
At the time of the incident, Gomelauri was serving as Head of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), while the Minister of Internal Affairs was Giorgi Gakharia, now the leader of the Gakharia for Georgia party. Gakharia has recently been questioned by the parliamentary interim fact-finding commission, which is investigating the actions of former government officials during the 2003–2012 period. Among the topics addressed was the rationale and decision-making process behind the Chorchana checkpoint.
The checkpoint, located near the administrative boundary line with the Russia-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, has been a point of contention both domestically and in negotiations with de facto authorities and Russian representatives.
The investigation into the checkpoint’s establishment appears to be part of a broader effort to revisit and assess past security-related decisions made by top officials.
