The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into former Interior Minister and Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, currently the leader of the opposition party For Georgia, focusing on his role in the 2019 decision to establish a police checkpoint near the village of Chorchana, close to the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.

On June 14, Vakhtang Gomelauri—who succeeded Gakharia as interior minister and previously served as head of the State Security Service—testified before prosecutors. His appearance followed his resignation announcement two weeks earlier.

In a statement released the same day, the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it is examining Gakharia’s actions on August 24, 2019, as part of a broader criminal probe into alleged sabotage. The case also involves wider accusations, including support for foreign-controlled entities and activities allegedly aimed at undermining Georgia’s constitutional order and national security. Gomelauri was summoned as a witness in this context, given his role during the 2019 events.

The decision to establish a Georgian police post in Chorchana heightened tensions with Russian-backed de facto authorities in Tskhinvali, who promptly demanded its removal. It marked one of the rare instances under the Georgian Dream government when state security services visibly resisted such demands from the occupying forces.

Although Georgian Dream nominated Gakharia as prime minister shortly after the incident, the checkpoint issue later surfaced in a parliamentary commission, led by Tsulukiani, tasked with investigating alleged abuses during the United National Movement era. Gakharia complied with the commission’s summonses, unlike opposition figures such as Nika Gvaramia and Zurab Japaridze, who faced imprisonment for noncompliance.

During his April testimony before the commission, Georgian Dream lawmakers criticized Gakharia for allegedly failing to coordinate the checkpoint decision with other relevant bodies, including the State Security Service. They argued this lack of coordination provoked the de facto Tskhinvali authorities to escalate their activities, including establishing new checkpoints and advancing the occupation line.

Gakharia defended his decision, asserting that the move was a preemptive measure to counter a land grab attempt by then-de facto leader Anatoly Bibilov, who, he claimed, sought to claim Chorchana territory for South Ossetia using a falsified 1922 map. Gakharia maintained that all relevant officials were informed about the operation.

Gomelauri, however, expressed a different view. Speaking to the press before his questioning, he stated, “Of course I was against [opening the checkpoint]; of course it should not have been done.”

The investigation appears wide-ranging. Prosecutors have linked the case to an earlier probe launched this year, which led to the freezing of solidarity funds used to cover fines for demonstrators and searches of fund administrators’ homes. Charges under consideration include sabotage and providing aid to foreign-controlled organizations engaged in hostile acts against Georgia.

Opposition leaders view the investigation as politically motivated. Tinatin Bokuchava of the United National Movement suggested the authorities are using the probe to pressure Gakharia into participating in the upcoming local elections. In a Facebook post, she described the move as presenting Gakharia with a stark choice: “Either prison or collaboration in a so-called ‘special operation’ called the local elections.”

The United National Movement has pledged to boycott the October municipal vote, while Gakharia’s For Georgia appears inclined to participate. Bokuchava also recently alleged that her husband was abducted and forced to issue a video apology for past statements regarding the sexual orientation of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son—an accusation Georgian Dream denies. Fellow UNM MP Ana Tsitlidze suggested the incident was intended to pressure their party into reversing its boycott stance.