Ruling party Sec-Gen claims “political motives” behind 2016 murder attempt on opposition figure

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday responded to reports from the Prosecutor General’s Office on alleged links between former President Mikheil Saakashvili and the 2016 attempted murder of Givi Targamadze, his former ally, in Tbilisi, and alleged “political motives of stirring unrest” were behind the incident, which occurred before the Parliamentary elections that year.

Citing testimonies of Darcho Khechuashvili, the convict in the case, the Office said Saakashvili, who was serving as the Governor of Odessa in Ukraine at the time, had instructed another individual to monitor Targamadze, a leader of his United National Movement party in Georgia, “due to mistrust and concerns” about his cooperation with the Georgian Dream authorities ahead of the 2016 vote.

Later that year, Targamadze's car was detonated outside the UNM office in Tbilisi, injuring him and two bypassers. One of the individuals involved in the case, a former employee of the Interior Ministry, fled the country illegally following the incident.

The Office said it had based its findings on testimonies from Khechuashvili, arrested last month while crossing into Georgia, after he had been sentenced in absentia in 2019. Khechuashvili also claimed Gia Lortkipanidze, the country’s former Deputy Interior Minister who currently serves as the Deputy Head of Ukrainian military intelligence, was involved in the case.

In his comments, Kaladze suggested the incident “may have been part of a strategy to provoke unrest” in the country ahead of the 2016 elections, describing UNM as a “dangerous force”.

If I am not mistaken, the incident occurred before an election, when Givi Targamadze’s car exploded. This may have been intended to undermine the Government, contributing to conflict and a revolutionary agenda. It is likely that the [convicted] individual was sent with malicious intent”, he alleged.

He added, "the public is well-aware of who Saakashvili is and what his associates represent. They pose a significant threat to Georgia and its people, so we must exercise caution”.

The official also highlighted the importance of a peaceful electoral process for the upcoming general elections on October 26, urging “vigilance” against UNM and its leaders. “We must be alert, as we confront profound evil. This group will stop at nothing to instigate discontent and exploit the resulting chaos”, Kaladze warned, describing them as a “coalition of unscrupulous individuals”.