Data Akhalaia has released a statement on the Facebook social network. Akhalaia’s lawyer Irakli Zakareishvili has confirmed that the statement really belongs to Data Akhalaia.
‘It has been seven months since I have been observing ongoing painful processes in Georgia from abroad. I think and analyze the past, and I become more and more persuaded that a source of Georgia’s many misfortunes is one man - who sacrificed the government and the country to fight against me and my brother.
His aspiration to power, secret wars and use of dirty means destroyed our government. I am deeply sure that the National Movement would not so strongly lose if not Vano Merabishvili.
I want to declare with full responsibility and I have evidences that the Lafankuri operation was planned against my brother Bacho Akhalaia and was carried out by Vano Merabishvili through Giorgi Lortkipanidze. He sacrificed our soldiers and endangered the country’s security and international image.
I want to declare and I have evidences that Vano Merabishvili organized creation of the prison video footage through Amiran Meskheli to take revenge on my brother. He sent the footage abroad safely and he eventually destroyed our government’s damaged image, which played a crucial role in our defeat.
I want to declare with full responsibility and I have evidences that Vano Merabishvili planned the Ialguja violence and inhuman treatment of our soldiers for which my brother is now being trialed. I want to add that I am not asserting that Merabishvili had a deal with the then-opposition, but one thing is apparent – Merabishvili presumed with his stupid confidence that only Akhalaias would suffer by his criminal activities, and he would still stay in power. He thought victory was guaranteed in the election. 
I think the time has come for all questions to be answered now! I, like my brother, have never escaped from responsibility, neither when I was fighting against organized crime and corruption, nor during the Russia-Georgia war, and even now I am not going to seek asylum in emigration.
I am firmly determined to return to Georgia in the nearest future with my friends and to answer all questions!”, the letter says.