Former Regional Development Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze says he has never sent a letter to former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. Speaking to journalists, Mdinaradze said the letter referred to by Gharibashvili is complete absurdity.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with me. I did not send a letter to Gharibashvili, or to anyone else, except for messages. In fact, I have never sent any kind of letter to anyone in my life - never,” Mdinaradze said.

He also explained that he had never conveyed anything to Irakli Gharibashvili through another person either.

“He said that a letter was sent, right? What did I supposedly convey? Do you know what was written in the letter? Have you read this letter? Let’s follow the logic. Now I have the opportunity to speak freely. The letter was written from the position of his supporter. How could it possibly have been from Mamuka Mdinaradze? Where is the logic? Tell me. It said things like, ‘We have two paths,’ or ‘We must fight to the end’ - was Mamuka Mdinaradze writing that we should fight to the end? Are you taking this matter seriously? I have never sent a letter to anyone. I am telling you directly, I have never been involved in matters like this,” Mdinaradze told journalists.

According to the former Regional Development Minister, as to why Irakli Gharibashvili refers to him in the letter, “you should ask him himself.”

For reference, former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili released a letter from prison. In the letter, Gharibashvili claims that the so-called “fight against corruption” campaign launched last year was primarily aimed at sending him to prison and politically destroying him.

He also said that, despite refusing to pursue a legal battle and going through what he described as a “destructive process” to avoid harming the interests of the state and the team, he was instead subjected to a “staged dirty provocation, many lies and injustice.”

Gharibashvili claims that he received a letter from Mamuka Mdinaradze in July and that, despite refusing to return to politics, the team demanded that he admit to corruption charges because of a 1% risk. The former prime minister says this was a “red line” and adds: “Since I have no other way out, I am being forced to start fighting.”