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Prosecutors Summon Saakashvili for Questioning

Former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been summoned by the Georgian prosecutor’s office for questioning as a witness for a second time in last four months.

Saakashvili, who has left Georgia upon expiration of his second and final presidential term in November, should appear before investigators in Tbilisi at 11am on July 28, according to subpoena issued by the prosecutor’s office late on July 26.

It was not immediately clear over which case prosecutors seek Saakashvili’s questioning.

Saakashvili was first summoned for questioning as a witness in connection to multiple cases in March, 2014.

The ex-president rejected to arrive in Georgia and to appear before prosecutors; then the prosecutor’s office offered him questioning via a video link, but it was also rejected by the ex-president.

Saakashvili said at the time that he would only testify as a witness via video link before court and not before prosecutors if any of the cases over which prosecutor’s office wanted to question him go into trial. At the time the U.S. Department of State expressed concern over by the decision to call Saakashvili for questioning in multiple criminal investigations.

When asked in a TV interview on July 23 if he rules out bringing criminal charges against ex-president Saakashvili, PM Irakli Garibashvili said:  “I do not rule out that I will be brought before justice if I commit a crime; everyone should be equal before the law. If we want to establish a real democracy, real rule of law than everyone should be equal before the law.”

“It would be wrong if I exclude or not exclude something. It is up to the prosecution to decide; I have no right to indicate to them whom to arrest and whom not to arrest. Prosecutor’s office is completely transparent,” Garibashvili said.

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