As part of the ongoing investigation related to the Chorchana episode at the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia, former Minister of Finance of Georgia, Ivane Machavariani, has been summoned for questioning on July 4.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Machavariani is expected to appear at the agency at 1:00 PM.

As is known, within the framework of the ongoing investigation, the following individuals have already been questioned: former Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Vakhtang Gomelauri; former Deputy Head of the State Security Service, Aleksandre Tabatadze; former Head of the Government Administration, Kakhaber Kakhishvili; former Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Maia Tskitishvili; former Governor of Shida Kartli, Giorgi Khojevanishvili; and the head of the administrative unit of Tsagvli (which includes the village of Chorchana), Vazha Lomidze.

Residents of the villages of Chorchana and Tsagvli have also been questioned as part of the investigation into the Chorchana episode.

For reference, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia is conducting an investigation under Article 318 (Part 1), Articles 19 and 318 (Part 2), Article 319, and Article 321^1 (Part 2, Subparagraph “a”) of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The charges involve sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, assisting in hostile activities on behalf of a foreign organization or a foreign-controlled organization, and mobilizing financial resources for actions directed against Georgia’s constitutional order and the foundations of national security.

The Prosecutor’s Office explained that among other issues, the investigation will look into the actions taken by Georgia’s former Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Gakharia, on August 24, 2019, near the occupation line by the village of Chorchana.

"The public is reminded that the suspicious circumstances related to the Chorchana outpost are also being examined within the framework of the Georgian Parliament’s temporary investigative commission, where former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has appeared to provide explanations,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.