In 2014, I became the Chairman of the Advisory Council to the President of Ukraine, and a few days later, this case was initiated – no one tell me that Ivanishvili dared to file a case against the leader of a region of a country ten times bigger than Georgia and a former president – of course, it was an instruction and an order, because I was a thorn in the side of his masters, – this was stated by the third President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, during the ongoing court hearing regarding the large-scale embezzlement of budgetary funds.

According to Saakashvili, they want to conclude this process on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so that “Russian TV stations can jubilantly announce it.”

“As for how political this process is, let’s look at the chronology and everything will become clear. In 2014, I became the Chairman of the Advisory Council to the President of Ukraine. A few days after this event, the so-called case was opened, which you are seeing today. Then, in a very decisive moment, in 2015, I became the governor of Ukraine’s largest and most strategic region, Odessa. This was when Russia was actively trying to conquer Odessa, and at that time, they encountered Saakashvili in their path. Of course, this irritated them greatly. Surprise, surprise, a few days after I became governor, it seems, the current so-called judge issues an order to arrest the governor of Ukraine’s largest region. You all have one face – that of Bidzina Ivanishvili. No one tell me that Ivanishvili dared to and decided to initiate a case against the head of the region of a country ten times bigger than Georgia and also against the former president of Georgia, which is practically equal in size to Georgia. Of course, it was an instruction and an order. Because I was a thorn in the side of his masters. Therefore, the chronology is as clear as day, and the completion of the process was desired on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine so that Russian TV stations could jubilantly announce it. This is the essence of this case,” Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili also stated that “the current government spends exactly four times more than I used to.”

“The current government spends exactly four times more than I spent back then. I know this for sure. You didn’t remove the classified status of this government’s expenses for only one reason – so that I would be accused, and these people would act as if nothing happened. They are really spending on banquets, orgies, really disgusting things, buying countless unnecessary items. When you chased me for buying a modern painting, did I take that painting with me? It is hanging in the Presidential Palace, which you abolished,” Saakashvili said.

Additionally, Saakashvili talked about the statements made by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, about him. According to Saakashvili, Donald Trump called him “an anti-corruption fighter and a reformer.”