Accusations in my direction are absurd. I was not present in Pankisi Gorge during the special operation. I will answer all questions in the nearest future – Ioseb Gogashvili, former deputy head of the State Security Service said in an interview with Georgian First Channel.

“There has never been a necessity for my arrival in Pankisi Gorge. The situation was controlled and preventive measures were being undertaken to avoid joining of Islamic State by Georgian citizens and youngsters,” he said.

Gogashvili told First Channel that he instated on questioning of those people who were present at the site during the special operation. Gogashvili also said he was ready to answer questions of the Prosecutor’s Office including those regarding the links of Machalikashvili’s family with terrorism.

The State Security Service of Georgia said on May 7 that Malkhaz Machalikashvili, father of Temirlan Machalikashvili, a 19-year-old youth killed during the special operation in Pankisi Gorge, plotted a terrorist act targeting Ioseb Gogashvili, former deputy head of the State Security Service and the persons accompanying him.

The SSG said that Malkhaz Machalikashvili was planning to commit a terrorist act in village Zemo Machkhaani of Dedoplistskaro Municipality in the eastern Georgian region of Kakheti, at the grave of Ioseb Gogashvili’s father.