Mamuka Mdinaradze says Georgian State Security Service probing criminal case with multiple recordings involving Igor Blaževič

Mamuka Mdinaradze, candidate for state minister and future vice prime minister, on Wednesday said that the Georgian State Security Service was conducting an investigation into a criminal case that included multiple recordings involving Igor Blaževič from the Prague Civil Society Centre, who is linked to the revolutionary blueprint for the domestic opposition.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Mdinaradze noted that his recent visit to Czechia was unrelated to Blaževič.

“I recall one so-called news report suggesting it was still unclear whether my visit [to Czechia] was connected to Blaževič. I can now answer: it was not. The trip had been planned weeks earlier as a routine working visit. I had very productive meetings with heads of special services, as well as security and intelligence agencies. We did not discuss this issue with the security service chief at all, as it was not their topic. In another meeting we briefly touched on it, but there was no in-depth discussion”, he said.

Addressing Blaževič directly, Mdinaradze stated that an ongoing criminal investigation contains multiple recordings involving him.

“When they [the opposition] confidently claim that there is no Blaževič, no assignments, no training, and no communication with individuals in Georgia, the opposite is true. There is a specific criminal case, and based on a court order, recordings exist that contain incriminating words, phrases, voices, and specific individuals”, he continued.

He added that, in time, law enforcement agencies will disclose what the opposition planned together with Blaževič.

“There will come a time when we will speak about what they planned, what their goals were, what they failed to do, and what they managed to accomplish. Some may even think it was premature for me to make this statement, but they [the opposition] have already become more cautious since this information leaked on television”, he said.

“As soon as funding from within stopped, they turned to remote training and assignments. Fortunately, our law enforcement agencies have strengthened internally to the point where we were able to ‘enter’ places they never expected. The reason I speak so confidently is that, in full compliance with all legal norms and based on a court order, there is evidence confirming all of this. They should refrain from continuing this as well”, Mdinaradze concluded.