In cooperation with the French counterparts, the Georgian law enforcement agencies are investigating “possible illegal ties” between organized crime and “some Georgian politicians”, which aimed at triggering destabilization for the upcoming elections, Tina Burjaliani, Georgia’s deputy justice minister, said on September 24.

“I’m in Paris with representatives from the Georgian Interior Ministry, who are meeting with the French National Gendarmerie. As you are aware [earlier in September] the Georgian PM [Vano Merabishvili] met in [Paris] French Interior Minister [Manuel Valls],” she told Rustavi 2 TV station from Paris. 

“The topic of our consultations is an investigation, which is being carried out by the French National Gendarmerie; the Georgian Interior Ministry is also investigating the same case under the oversight of the prosecutor’s office,” she said.

“At this stage I can tell you that the case involves contacts between representatives of the Georgian organized crime, in particular thieves-in-law, and some Georgian politicians and their possible illegal ties for the purpose of [causing] destabilization and violence for the October 1 parliamentary elections.”

“Unfortunately, today I cannot provide public with more details than that; but we hope that in next few days we will be able to talk in details about these issues; the purpose of my visit is to obtain more details from our French counterparts,” Burjaliani said.