Prosecutor Says Gomelauri Testimony Confirms Chorchana Checkpoint Was Unilateral
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Prosecutor Tamar Iakobidze said testimony by former State Security Service chief Vakhtang Gomelauri confirmed that the Chorchana checkpoint was established by then-Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia without coordination with the security agency.
Gomelauri testified that the State Security Service was not informed about the checkpoint and learned of its construction through the hotline, Iakobidze said. She added that the European Union Monitoring Mission had also not been informed.
"The decision in question was not coordinated with the State Security Service," Iakobidze said, adding that the agency learned about the construction after work had begun.
She said Gomelauri's testimony was consistent with that of former Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and another State Security Service witness, Irakli Antadze. Iakobidze said both testified that they had not been informed in advance about the checkpoint.
Gomelauri also told the court that road construction in the area did not necessarily mean a checkpoint was being built, as roads had been repaired in different locations to support patrols and local residents.
Gakharia has previously disputed the prosecution's account, saying the checkpoint plan was coordinated with relevant institutions and that the EU monitoring mission and State Security Service were informed.
Gakharia is charged under Article 333, Part 2 of the Criminal Code, which concerns abuse of official powers by a political officeholder and carries a prison sentence of three to five years, according to the prosecution.
The prosecution alleges that his decision to establish the checkpoint in August 2019 contributed to the subsequent loss of control over about 100 hectares of forest and the establishment of additional checkpoints by Russian-backed forces.
