Cabinet Ministers react to Saakashvili’s latest charge

"Shameful” is how one Georgian official is calling the alleged embezzlement of more than 8.8 million GEL state funds by the country’s former president, while another high official said "legitimate questions need to be answered”.

Georgian cabinet ministers made their first comments about the ex-president’s new embezzlement charge after today’s Governmental meeting and said there must be evidence against ex-leader Mikheil Saakashvili for authorities to charge him.

The State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Paata Zakariashvili emphasized investigators must have "reliable evidence” that proved Saakashvili’s guilt and everyone must trust the Prosecutor’s Office and the court.

Zakariashvili added the new charge against Saakashvili was important news for the country and it was common all around the world for officials to be punished if they did something illegal and were found guilty of their crimes.

Meanwhile, State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili said "this is really shameful” when commenting on the significant amount of money spent by Saakashvili on his entertainment allowance.

I think the court has enough arguments to ensure an appropriate outcome, he said.

Meanwhile Prisons and Probation Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili believed the Prosecutor’s Office had enough evidence otherwise it would not file new charges against the ex-president.

There are legitimate questions which need clear answers, Minister Mgebrishvili said.

Sozar Subari, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia, said: "In any country, such charges would be enough reason for impeachment and resignation of the President."

This eight million, which became known yesterday, was secret costs. Therefore, there are another 20 million [on top of this which we know about]. Embezzlement of state funds is punishable in any country and we'll never be able to claim a civilized and democratic country if we leave these issues unattended, Subari said.

Yesterday the Chief Prosecutor’s Office filed a new embezzlement charge against Saakashvili. The Office alleged 8, 837,000 GEL state funds were used by Saakashvili as a secret source of income for private spending over a five year period.