Gakharia demands new commission to probe alleged sabotage of Chorchana plan, Tsulukiani says existing one will uncover facts

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the Gakharia for Georgia party, has called for the creation of a new investigative commission to examine what he alleges was a deliberate sabotage of Georgia’s plan to establish seven checkpoints in the Chorchana area.

Speaking remotely during a session of the current parliamentary temporary investigative commission, Gakharia claimed the project, initially launched during his time as Minister of Internal Affairs, was derailed after his appointment as Prime Minister, sparking his first major conflict with the then-leadership of the State Security Service.

“As you know, seven checkpoints were planned. The first was built on August 24. I was nominated as Prime Minister on September 3 and approved on September 8. During this time, something unexpected happened—positions intended for Georgian checkpoints became Russian checkpoints.

I firmly believe the time will come when a special commission will be established to investigate why the plan to secure full control over that road was not completed. It must be determined what Gomelauri, then newly assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, did to halt the process, or what Liluashvili, then acting or appointed head of the State Security Service, did—or failed to do—while those positions were being overtaken. Today, you see Russian flags flying where Georgian ones were meant to be.

At a transitional moment, the plan was sabotaged. This was the first serious conflict between me and the then-leadership of the State Security Service. The plan, developed by the Department of Special Tasks and the Security Service, would have ensured that Georgian flags stood at each checkpoint—had it been fully implemented.

I urge the formation of a separate commission to determine why the implementation of Georgia’s plan for full border control was halted—why, instead of Georgian, Russian checkpoints now stand there,” Gakharia asserted.

In response, Tea Tsulukiani, head of the investigative commission, rejected the proposal for a new commission.

“We will not establish a new commission. This one will uncover the facts,” Tsulukiani said, adding that it was ironic for Gakharia, who held full executive power at the time, to blame others.

She further questioned why Gakharia did not resume the project after becoming Prime Minister: “Did your own Minister of Internal Affairs not allow it?”

Gakharia responded that the minister did not act: “I didn’t tell him, and he wasn’t given the courage or mandate. Apparently, someone got a call from the ‘Deep State’.”