SSS dismisses information about presence of person in Georgia connected with Russian military company Wagner
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, August 31
The Georgian State Security Service (SSS) has dismissed the information spread by the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi about the presence of a Russian citizen in Georgia in connection with the Russian private military company Wagner. According to the SSS, “individuals linked with the Russian paramilitary group have not been detected at Georgian borders over the past several years”. Mtavari Arkhi has accused the Georgian State Security Service of not taking relevant steps against Russian citizens connected with Wagner, as well as against the 4 Georgian members of the Wagner group. The Wagner Group is a paramilitary company founded in Russia, whose alleged head is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
SSS stressed that there are no individuals or organizations in Georgia that may be connected with the Russian private military company "Wagner", or pose a threat to state security in any way.
SSS also dismissed allegations by the same media outlet about the possible Georgian citizens living in the occupied territories, who may also have been affiliated with the private military company Wagner. The statement stresses that the majority of the persons named by Mtavari Arkhi are connected with the occupation regime of Abkhazia and they are not in the territory controlled by the Georgian government. As mentioned in the statement, if any of those people attempt or cross the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia, appropriate measures will be taken against them.
SSG states that persons related to the mentioned group manage to cross not only into the territory of Georgia but also different countries of the world and once they are identified appropriate measures are taken. According to the agency, Georgia has put such persons under control since 2019, they are not on the territory of Georgia now and ‘will not be able to enter in the future’.
According to the SSS, all the ‘disinformation’ that have been spread serves the purpose of discrediting the State Security Service.
