The leader of the For Georgia party, Giorgi Gakharia, is set to appear once again before the Georgian Parliament’s temporary investigative commission, said the commission’s chair, Tea Tsulukiani.
Speaking ahead of the latest session, Tsulukiani confirmed that Gakharia has already been notified and is expected to testify on June 23. The focus of the renewed questioning will be developments in the villages of Chorchana, Tsaghvli, and adjacent areas.
“We plan to re-interrogate Giorgi Gakharia on June 23. The notification process is underway in full compliance with legal procedures. I hope Mr. Gakharia will attend, so we can continue our discussion regarding his claim that not a single centimeter of land was lost under his decision to install a police checkpoint,” Tsulukiani said.
She highlighted recent testimony from a Tsaghvli resident, who alleged that Russian forces had taken control of the entire surrounding forest area—contradicting Gakharia’s previous assertions.
“This discrepancy between Mr. Gakharia’s statements and the account given by locals needs to be addressed,” she noted.
Tsulukiani added that the questioning will also cover the period following Gakharia’s resignation in 2021, including the international activities of both the former Prime Minister and his political party.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has released a statement confirming that an investigation is underway into allegations of attempted sabotage, collaboration with foreign entities engaged in hostile activities, and the mobilization of funds against the country’s constitutional order and national security.
The probe is being conducted under Articles 318, 319, and 321¹ of the Georgian Criminal Code and is linked to the controversial opening of a police checkpoint in the village of Chorchana in 2019.
The statement says that the investigation centers on actions taken by then-Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gakharia on August 24, 2019, near the occupation line in Chorchana. Vakhtang Gomelauri, who headed the State Security Service at the time and later served as interior minister, has been summoned for questioning as a witness.
The Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that the case is being examined in parallel with an ongoing parliamentary interim fact-finding commission, which has already heard testimony from Gakharia. Officials also stated that the public will be kept informed as new details emerge.
Related story: Former interior minister Gomelauri questioned over controversial Chorchana checkpoint