Interview with expert Kakhi Kakhishvili

There was much pother with regard to 19 April action but nothing happened –it was an ordinary rally, resembling many others seen in Georgia. The oppositionist President, Mayor of Tbilisi and ex-Premier Merabishvili announced the beginning of national movement. Before that there was a scandalous declaration of Data Akhalaia, brother of Bacho Akhalaia, one of the Nationals’ leaders; after that expenses of State Security were made public. Expert Kakhi Kakhishvili considers that 19 April revealed that NM’s rhetoric is a farce.
K.K. – Whether you call the party ‘National Movement’ or non-national movement, it makes no difference. Declarations made at the meeting were void but one moment deserves attention – every speaker underlined that ‘National Movement’ is the only oppositional force. As it seems, that principal aim of Nationals is to fill that niche and ‘Georgian Dream’ is assisting them in achieving that goal.
Q. – According to the available information, about 10 thousand people attended the event. Is this number big or small for ‘Nationals’?
A. – Considering the fact that to organize this evevnt, ‘Nationals’ used almost all country-wide resources, 10 thousand is undoubtedly a very small number.
Q. – In his declaration Data Akhalaia, former chief of the Department of Constitutional Security (DCS) accuses Vano Merabishvili of the campaign against the Akhalaia family and states that the leaders of ‘Nationals’ were made victim to Merabishvili’s unbridled strive to power, his selfish and filthy secret wars.
A. – ‘Nationals’ want to confirm the idea that allegedly the nine-year-old vice is connected with only Akhalaia brothers and ex-minister Zurab Adeishvili. Data Akhalaia’s life abroad may be under threat. It seems that via his lawyer he is trying to conclude an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, according to which he’ll give evidence against the elite of ‘National Movement’, in return of getting procedural agreement.
The Akhalaias’ were offered a lot of money, political support in order not to give evidence. Everything depends on how far are gone the negotiations between Data Akhalaia and Prosecutor’s Office with regard to giving evidence and returning to Georgia.
Q. – In case the agreement is reached, based on Akhalaia’s evidence, who will be accused by the Prosecutor’s Office?
A. – Probably the former Prime Minister. Initially Data and Bacho Akhalaia were in Merabishvili’s team but when they ‘grew up’ they started making up of their team, which created confrontation between the Akhalaias and Merabishvili. Akhalaias wanted to redistribute the spheres of influence. In case ‘National Movement’ gained victory in the elections the confrontation would be of broader scale. In case Data Akhalaia starts giving evidence, after Merabishvili it will be Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava’s turn. Data Akhalaia will have some material about the so-called ‘liberal wing’ of ‘National Movement’ – I mean Giga Bokeria and those people who are associated with the ‘Liberty Institute’.
Q. – Do you agree with the assessment of some experts that the Akhalaias are victims of Saakashvili’s regime?
A. – I too see these signs. It’s a fact that Data Akhalaia headed the office that was tasked to gather, process and use discrediting evidence and filthy material. After losing the elections, most part of the compromising materials were taken away by ‘Nationals’ from Interior Ministry and Module building and hidden somewhere. Data Akhalaia could be among them; he, in order to secure himself, took some material abroad.
The war of compromising evidence will become more acute in Georgia. The same ‘Nationals’ must have identical material about the members of new powers but they won’t publish everything all at once, they’ll use them for bargaining. This war will become especially strained before the Presidential elections.
Q. – Expenses of Special Service of State Protection that were classified have become public. The data are shocking indeed.
A. – Once Mikheil Saakashvili declared that his property declaration included the whole Georgia. As it seems, he didn’t lie as he thought that the budget was ‘National Movement’s’ common fund and their pocket money. As a result of elite corruption leaders of ‘National Movement’ gained huge sums that are already taken to off-shores. They didn’t think they would ever lose power and be kept answerable. The roads and bridges are built on loans, but you can’t take money directly from loans and grunts and put it into the pocket – something is to be done that will give you a chance for kickback. Accordingly, the loans for those bridges and facades are to be covered by us. Whatever they did was aimed at making more money to take home.
Q. – Mikheil Saakashvili spoke about the August war and noted that he is ready to answer the questions in the Parliament but not to cooperate with law enforcers.
A. – I think Mikheil Saakashvili’s appearance on air must be made ‘classified’. As it seems he was right when he abstained from direct transmission and aired the stuff recorded beforehand.
Q. – Do you mean the declaration made by the President, according to which during the war the American Administration was considering to bomb Rikoti tunnel? As a matter of fact it isn’t a big secret because Ronald Asmus says about it in his book ‘The little war that shook the world’.
A. – It’s one thing when Asmus too writes about it but when acting President declares about it directly, it’s something else. Saakashvili’s declaration that actually it was not water that the American Navy brought to Georgia – is worth a lot!
On the one hand, the President was trying to prove that investigation of circumstances of war would play into Russia’s hands but on the other – he made declarations that by all means will be used by Moscow against Georgia or USA.