Prosecutor’s Office interrogates former military officials

A former Major in the Georgian military, convicted of organising the Mukhrovani Mutiny, has been interrogated at the Chief Prosecutor's Office.

Before entering the Office Levan Amiradze told journalists he did not know he would be summoned as a witness or sufferer.

He said he would cooperate with the investigation and provide information about what happened in Mukhrovani on May 5, 2009.

"I expect that they will ask me questions about the published scandalous video. I will give all information needed for the investigation,” Amiranidze said.

Furthermore, he believed the investigation would end positively for him and the trust would be revealed.

Amiradze said the statement ex-Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili made in court yesterday was thoughtless. Merabishvili said the Mukhrovani’s Mutiny organisers had killed two Russian consultants and on the video "two dead bodies” was about that.

"In fact if we had some connection with Russia and it was really a mutiny, this would have ended badly for Merabishvili and the then-government, Amiradze said.

"We did not have anything in common with Russia. This not written even in the accusation,” he claimed.

Amiradze explained that the alleged revolt was not planned to take place at the Mukhrovani base. On the day in question, Amiradze said he wanted to go to the base to speak about his resignation from his post as Major.

The investigation also questioned former military official Koba Otanadze and Lia Krialashvili, the sister of Gia Krialashvili who was killed during the operation.

In 2009, mutiny broke out when the Mukrovani Tank Battalion disobeyed orders after the government announced it had uncovered a ‘Russian-backed plot’ to destabilize Georgia and assassinate President Saakashvili. 

Later, Georgian authorities retracted their accusations of an assassination plot and allegations of Russian support.