The Georgian Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case against Irakli Okruashvili, who served as the country's Minister of Defense from 2004 to 2006. He is accused of refusing to cooperate with the temporary parliamentary commission investigating alleged crimes by the authorities during the rule of the United National Movement. The leaders of the Lelo party, founders of TBC Bank Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have also been brought to criminal responsibility - they also did not appear at the commission meeting at the invitation of the deputies.

The defendants will be tried under Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Georgia - "failure to comply with the legal requirements of the temporary investigative commission of parliament". The punishment provided for under it is a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.

Recall that on March 25, a meeting of the investigative commission was held. at which the case of the Magnat gas station chain was considered. Its owner was businessman Dzhemal Leonidze. According to media reports, during the rule of the National Movement, the businessman's property was subject to confiscation and arrest. After being released as a political prisoner, Leonidze accused Mamuka Khazaradze and other members of the previous government of illegally appropriating property. Khazaradze did not show up for the meeting, stating on his Facebook page that he did not want to "participate in this circus." The deputies were also going to ask questions to Khazaradze's business partner and fellow party member, Badri Japaridze. However, the oppositionist, like his colleague, announced on social networks that he was refusing to appear before the commission, calling its activities a "slanderous show."