The State Security Service of Georgia confirmed reports that former Deputy Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili is currently abroad. This was reported by the online news agency Interpressnews, citing the agency.

In response to the State Security Service's statement, Davitashvili explained why he was not in Georgia. He said he had a scheduled work meeting.

"I regularly have to travel for work. Almost every week, and I had a scheduled visit. I'm returning at the end of the week, and I have another trip next week... This is the real information," the online publication BMG quoted the former deputy prime minister as saying.

As a reminder, Davitashvili was questioned by the State Security Service on February 17. After leaving the building, he stated that "the meeting concerned Georgia's participation in European gas supplies and the associated risks."

However, in response to his statement, the State Security Service emphasized that the former official was at the Anti-Corruption Agency not for "discussion," but for questioning in connection with a specific criminal case. The agency insists that the subject of the questioning was the risks associated with gas supplies to Georgia itself and the possible deterioration of the terms of the concluded agreement under investigation, not supplies to the European Union.