MP Sharmanashvili: Prosecutor’s Office took right legal step, those who made statements will be questioned

“The Prosecutor’s Office has taken the right legal step. Now these people will be questioned, and we will all clearly see whether this is simply the spreading of rumors or whether they had any tangible evidence when speaking about the issue,” parliamentary majority member Tengiz Sharmanashvili said.

Sharmanashvili was commenting on the Prosecutor’s Office’s statement issued today regarding the case of Lazare Jorbenadze. The Prosecutor’s Office said that “the fact of suicide has been unequivocally established in the case”; however, several individuals will be questioned based on public statements they made, including former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

According to Sharmanashvili, the questioning will show “what kind of people we are dealing with.”

“I have an inner conviction that this is yet another case of spreading rumors aimed at discrediting state institutions. If I am wrong, these interviews will show us that, and we will once again see what kind of people we are dealing with.

“Internationally, people who base their information on rumors are called the yellow press. What should we call politicians of this type? Probably ‘yellow politicians,’ who base their views on rumors.

“I doubt they have anything tangible. Their goal is to discredit state institutions. They have to portray everything in a negative light and say that nothing good is happening in this country, that there are always conspiracies, and that someone intends to kill, act illegally against, or oppress someone else. They live and feed on this — rumors, lies and such narratives.

“Otherwise, where there is tangible evidence and a crime has actually been committed, we do not need their help. Regardless of whether it politically harms us or not, we take particularly strong measures. When we started fighting corruption, we knew very well that it would not look good politically for the government when former or current members of the authorities were held criminally responsible.

“What distinguishes us from others is that we will never retreat when there is a legal basis,” Sharmanashvili said.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that, based on public statements made by convicted former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and other individuals, several people will be questioned as part of the investigation being conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office. Those to be questioned include Nika Gvaramia, Irma Inashvili, Nanuka Zhorzholiani, Khatia Dekanoidze, Tazo Datunashvili, Gia Khukhashvili, Giorgi Liluashvili, Zaza Davitaia, Ermile Nemsadze and Giorgi Gigauri.