TBILISI, October 9 – Former Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia has been summoned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation, the ministry confirmed Wednesday.
Officials did not specify which case Akhalaia has been called to testify in. According to a statement by his wife, Ani Nadareishvili, he is expected to appear before the ministry’s Criminal Police Department on Thursday, October 10, at 1:00 p.m.
Akhalaia, who served as defense minister from 2009 to 2012 under the previous United National Movement (UNM) government, has been a controversial figure in Georgian politics for over a decade. He has faced multiple criminal charges since the UNM lost power in 2012, including allegations of abuse of office and inhumane treatment of prisoners, accusations he has consistently denied, describing them as politically motivated.
The former minister’s name recently resurfaced in local media coverage of the so-called “Hexogen case,” in which two Ukrainian citizens were arrested in September for allegedly attempting to smuggle military-grade explosives into Georgia. The State Security Service (SUS) has said it is examining whether Akhalaia or his associates have any connection to that investigation, though no formal link has been established publicly.
