Irakli Garibashvili’s lawyer, Lili Gelashvili, states that the investigative agency questioned the former Prime Minister as a witness.
According to her, Irakli Garibashvili himself and his legal representatives will make a statement in the coming days.
“At this stage of the investigation, since Irakli Garibashvili has not been charged and has never been officially accused, I am not familiar with the case materials either. He was only questioned as a witness, and all I can say is that he responded to questions put to him by the investigators and provided some explanations. Regarding any further details, and in the interests of the investigation, we are not in a position to comment at this stage. It depends on the actions taken by the prosecution. I believe that in the coming days, Irakli Garibashvili and his lawyers will undoubtedly issue a statement and provide more detailed information.
Recently, there has been circulating information, and I am uncertain of its purpose, origin, or intent. The photographs and all the material circulating do not reflect the truth. These items were not seized from Irakli Garibashvili’s family; therefore, this seems to have been a deliberate attempt to manipulate public sentiment, which has ultimately been misjudged. I am not sure what purpose it served, or rather, we may have an idea, but I will refrain from commenting further at this stage.
As for the rest, Irakli Garibashvili will make a statement himself in the coming days, and I am confident he will address journalists’ questions in more detail. I understand there is significant public interest in this case and in this individual,” the lawyer noted.
Regarding questions about items seized from Irakli Garibashvili’s house, according to the lawyer, no gold jewellery was seized from the former Prime Minister’s home.
“What particularly drew everyone’s attention was the gold jewellery, chains, and similar items. It was as though no one explained where or from whom these had been seized, yet for some reason, everyone attributed them to Irakli Garibashvili. I can assure you that this is a lie, not only was that amount of jewellery not seized from his home, but not a single such item was confiscated at all,” stated Lili Gelashvili.
For reference, during a briefing held today at the State Security Service, it was stated that Irakli Garibashvili was questioned at the Anti-Corruption Agency, that he fully cooperated with the investigation, and that he acknowledged receiving illegal income over the years.
On October 17, searches were carried out at the residences of former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, former head of the State Security Service of Georgia Grigol Liluashvili, former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, and eight other individuals associated with them. The Prosecutor’s Office reported that various electronic devices, documents, and a substantial amount of cash were seized during these searches.