Kakha Kaladze: Irakli Garibashvili’s letters are nothing more than political speculation

“Allegations raised in letters by former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili are entirely groundless and amount to political speculation by a former teammate,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has declared.

Speaking to reporters, Kaladze stressed that exploiting a specific tragedy without evidence, referring to the death of a rights defender, which has been formally confirmed as suicide, is categorically unacceptable.

“I offered clarification a few days ago, and I will repeat it now: it is deeply difficult, painful, and unpleasant for me to speak when it concerns a former teammate who has admitted to the charges brought against him and is currently serving his sentence. His subsequent statements lack any factual basis and are, in my view, nothing more than political speculation.

The same applies to this specific incident, which, regrettably, has been confirmed as suicide; weaponising this event is categorically unacceptable. Speaking on a human level, anyone can make mistakes in life, but one must face trials with dignity and fortitude. I repeat, it pains me to discuss this, but seeing Irakli Garibashvili, a former Prime Minister and once a key leader of our team, speaking in complete unison with the United National Movement, who are enemies of the state, is a deeply distressing sight,” Kakha Kaladze stated.

When asked by a reporter whether Garibashvili’s latest claims regarding the case should prompt a formal investigation, the Mayor noted that statements unsupported by facts or evidence cannot serve as grounds for opening an inquiry.