UNM members refuse comment over alleged Gov’t overthrow
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, September 29
Members of the opposition party United Nation al Movement (UNM) refused appearing at the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters for questioning, in connection with an alleged recording of the conversation between ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and the UNM members, wherein they discuss the overthrow of the current Government.
The SSS launched an investigation into the alleged recording on September 27 for the organizing of a coup.
The alleged participants of the video – the authenticity of which has not been examined yet, are ex-President of Georgia, now Odessa Governor Mikheil Saakashvili and the UNM lawmakers Akaki Bobokhidze, Irma Nadirashvili, Nugzar Tsiklauri, Petre Tsiskarishvili, Akaki Minashvili and Gigi Tsereteli.
UNM members Nugzar Tsiklauri and Akaki Minashvili, who were summoned to the SSS two days ago, did not show up. Earlier they stated that are ready to cooperate with law enforcement authorities and asked the SSS to question the party members in the party office, because they are very busy due to the pre-election processes.
Moreover, yesterday the SSS summoned the other UNM members: Petre Tsiskarishvili, Gigi Tsereteli and Irma Nadirashvili. However, they have not appeared in the State Security Service yet.
Irma Nadirashvili says the published recording is not authentic. She said her voice does not appear in the recording and is surprised that she was summoned for questioning.
“The released recording is a fabrication. I am not going to waste time going to Security Service Office because there is an active pre-election period,” said Nadirashvili and called on the law enforcers to come at the UNM Office for any questions.
Saakashvili himself made another comment on the issue, saying no revolution is being planned by the UNM.
“We are going to win the elections peacefully...everything goes towards the inevitable defeat of the government and its replacement,” Saakashvili’s Facebook post reads.
According to Georgia’s Minister for Refugees and Accommodation Sozar Subari, the released phone conversation recordings confirmed that National Movement and its leader Mikheil Saakashvili represent a criminal gang.
“The United National Movement no longer has any resources to carry out its plans. Saakashvili will inevitably go to #9 prison where a small but comfortable cell is waiting for him without any prospect of torture…he must be held responsible for planning organized criminal activities,” he said.
The UNM is Georgia’s former ruling party, which ran Georgia in 2003-2012, before it was defeated by the current Georgian Dream authorities in the 2012 Parliamentary Elections.
