"They accused me of a coup d'etat. Let the SBU investigate this. We've just passed our 'greetings' to them [the PGO]," Saakashvili said in the lobby of the PGO building on Riznytska Street in Kyiv. "And I'm looking forward to an invitation to questioning in the SBU where I will give all the necessary testimony."
In turn, his lawyer Ruslan Chernolutsky added that the case against Saakashvili, opened on December 4 under Part 1 of Article 256 (assistance to participants of criminal organizations and concealment of their criminal activities) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, is under investigation by the SBU, therefore his client will not go for questioning to the PGO.
Read alsoSaakashvili reveals details of his reconciliation letter to Poroshenko"According to a decision by Prosecutor General [Yuriy] Lutsenko of December 5, this case falls within the jurisdiction of the Security Service of Ukraine, so we should not and are not obliged to go for an interview by a certain unknown group of prosecutors who have no authority. Saakashvili did not violate the law, he arrived [at the PGO] at 09:30 Kyiv time, but prior to that he had filed a motion claiming that the legal proceedings had been violated and demanded the transfer of the case to the SBU," the lawyer said.
On December 18, Saakashvili visited the PGO building in keeping with a summons. However, he refused to participate in the interrogation, insisting that the criminal case against him had been falsified.
Chernolutsky also added that at 11:30 on December 19, Kyiv's Court of Appeals would consider an appeal against the decision of the court of first instance regarding the measure of restraint to Severion Dangadze, Saakashvili's ally.
