GD’s Machavariani links ‘hexogen case’ to Ukrainian security services

Levan Machavariani, Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction and head of the party’s Tbilisi election headquarters, said on Saturday that the recently uncovered hexogen explosives case appears to have been planned by Ukrainian security services under the leadership of Gia Lortkipanidze, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia under the United National Movement government.

Speaking to journalists, Machavariani argued that the incident fits a familiar pattern.

“It is logical that all of this was planned by the same hand. The aim was either for the explosive materials to remain in Georgia or for Georgia to be used as a transit country,” he stated.

Machavariani recalled previous allegations of Ukrainian involvement in Georgia’s internal affairs.

“This is not surprising to anyone. We clearly remember that Ukrainian security services were involved in smuggling Mikheil Saakashvili into Georgia. That special operation was led by Gia Lortkipanidze, who was Vano Merabishvili’s deputy and today holds a very high position in Ukraine’s intelligence service. It is logical that this case was also planned by the same hand,” Machavariani said.

He added that regardless of the intended purpose of the explosives, Georgia’s security services “worked at a high level” in uncovering the case.