Paresishvili threatens to publish scandalous materials
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, May 8
Giorgi Paresishvili claims that he possesses video-audio materials that would be damaging to the prime minister’s advisor, Gia Khukhashvili, Deputy Interior Minister, Gela Khvedelidze and Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Lasha Natsvlishvili. Paresishvili stressed that he intends to publish the materials and reveal the activities of the trio.
Paresishvili made a statement after a video depicting a sexual relationship between the three men became available on social networks on April 3. This particular video also revealed the identity of the individuals in the video. One of the individuals is a member of the Georgian Dream youth wing, Giorgi Paresishvili, who frequently criticized Khukhashvili, and other state officials.
Paresishvili claimed that the video was fabricated and invented by the trio and aimed to discredit him for his true accusations regarding taking control of businesses previously controlled by former government members.
Paresishvili emphasized that the investigation will not be fair so long as the three individuals occupy high positions.
“I will publish the materials and represent eye witness of the criminal actions undertaken by the aforementioned officials when they leave their posts,” Pareishvili said. However, he also stated that he is ready to publish the compromising material in case if the individuals do not quit posts.
“Khvedelidze covered Gia Lortkipanidze’s (former deputy interior minister) criminal role during the Lapankuri special operation,” Paresishvili suggested, adding that the confrontation between him and Kvedelidze began during the parliamentary election period when he accused Khvedelidze in confidential deals with the current general secretary of the United National Movement, Vano Merabishvili.
Paresishvili highlighted that he had a meeting with the US ambassador to Georgia, Richard Norland, and the ambassador expressed interest regarding the investigation process.
Khukhashvili has already provided a response and called the statements made by Paresishvili absurd. According to him, Paresishvili might be a victim of those people who encouraged him to make false statements against him and some other current officials. Khukhashvili suggested Paresishvili's common collaboration with the investigation.
Five NGOs, including the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and Transparency International Georgia, published common statements concerning the issue. According to them, after the parliamentary elections the new government of Georgia did not ensure the destruction of the video footage nor did they carry out effective measures to prevent it from being published.
The NGOs claimed that identification of those individuals who spread the video would not be hard as the video was published on a social network.
“Not only the interior ministry, the whole government should be interested in a fair investigation of the case so this type of thing is not repeated in future,” the statement reads.
The Interior ministry states that the video materials reflecting the private life of the individuals will be destroyed as soon as the investigation is over concerning the men related with gaining and creating the materials.
