Criminal proceedings against Saakashvili cannot be ruled out - Georgian PM
TBILISI. Oct 22 (Interfax) - Political pursuit of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili after his presidential term ends on October 27 is out of the question, however the possibility that law enforcement authorities could have questions for him and could even open criminal proceedings against him cannot be ruled out, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said.
"There will be no political pursuit of Saakashvili, however there are questions for him. If former Prime Minister [Vano Merabishvili] is in prison and former Defense Minister [Bacho Akhalaya] is in prison, another former Defense Minister [David Kezerashvili] has been apprehended in France, Prosecutor General [Zurab Adeishvili, former prosecutor general and justice minister], three cases have been opened against acting [Tbilisi] Mayor [Gigi Ugulava], then naturally there are questions for the president," Ivanishvili said on air of the Imedi television channel early on Tuesday.
The possibility of a criminal case being opened against Saakashvili over the circumstances of the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania in 2006 also cannot be ruled out, Ivanishvili said.
"Of course, it is possible that a criminal case against Saakashvili will be opened, at the very least concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania as well as many other cases. In particular, over the events that took place May 26, 2011, when people were killed when disrupting a rally. Do you think the president did not know? Of course, he knew. I, as a citizen, do not want my president to be questioned or be imprisoned - this is not good for the country's image - however, the prosecutor's office and the court exist and I do not interfere in their affairs," the prime minister said.
