There were questions at the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia about the establishment of a checkpoint in Chorchana - I explained what the reality was. This event was unknown to me, - the former Minister of Finance of Georgia, Ivane Machavariani, told journalists after an interview at the Prosecutor's Office.

"I learned about it on television. Before that, I had no idea," - said Ivane Machavariani.

When asked by a journalist, did you hear about this story only after it happened? Machavariani replied: "No, I heard it now, a few weeks ago, from the media. I had no idea."

To another question about whether Gakharia's action was correct, Machavariani replied, "I don't make assessments." When asked whether his testimony would become the reason for Giorgi Gakharia's arrest, Ivane Machavariani replied: "I have no idea."

As is known, the following individuals were questioned as part of the investigation underway at the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia: 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 Kakha Kakhishvili; former Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili; former governor of Shida Kartli Giorgi Khojevanishvili; and governor of the administrative unit of Tsaghvi (which includes the village of Chorchana) Vazha Lomidze.

Also, residents of the village of Chorchana and Tsaghvi were questioned as part of the investigation underway at the Prosecutor General's Office regarding the Chorchana episode.

For information, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia is conducting an investigation into sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, assistance to a foreign organization or an organization under foreign control in hostile activities, and mobilization of funds for activities directed against the constitutional order and foundations of national security of Georgia, under Article 318, Part 1, Article 19, Part 2, Article 318, Subparagraph "a" of Part 2 of Article 319 and 321 Prima of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

As explained by the Prosecutor's Office, the subject of the ongoing investigation, among other issues, is the action taken by the former Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, along the occupation line near the village of Chorchana on August 24, 2019.

"We would like to remind the public that study of suspicious circumstances related to the Chorchana checkpoint is also underway in the format of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia, where former Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia was present to provide explanations," the Prosecutor's Office said.