In a detailed interview to TV Pirveli, Alexander Samkharadze, former officer of Georgia’s State Security Service, claimed he accompanied the then head of the Service and currently Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri to Vladikavkaz in 2017 where a secret meeting with FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov was held.
Samkharadze spoke of many technical details of the meeting including the address of the restaurant, shut down specifically for the meeting as well as other accompanying officials of the SSG.
Samkharadze is former head of Security of Soso Gogashvili, now jailed former Deputy Director of the Service-turned whistleblower who started publishing what he calls evidence of usurpation of power, surveillance of CSOs and election fraud.
Samkharadze claimed he traveled to Vladikavkaz in December of 2016 accompanied by the SSG Counterterrorism Center chief Irakli Chimakadze and Ioseb Chelidze, chief of the SSG Inspectorate General to organize the meeting where Gomelauri was only joined by Gogashvili.
Samkharadze also said he removed number plates from the SSG vehicles that crossed both Georgian and Russian border checkpoints in Larsi without any passport control.
Gogashvili confirmed the meeting in a statement from jail.
He also said, acting on orders from Bidzina Ivanishvili himself, he visited Vladikavkaz and met with FSB General Alexadner Sedov preparing the meeting between Gomelauri and Bortnikov.
“The meetings aimed to build working relations between lower level officers, nomination and linking of trustworthy individuals, ensuring safe passage for illegal goods, granting Georgian citizenship to Russian nationals, aiding opening businesses in Georgia as well as extraditing undesirable Russian citizens to Moscow,” Gogashvili said.
He also claimed another meeting between Bortnikov and Gogashvili took place later in 2017 in Minsk, Belarus.
Gogashvili and Sakharadze said meeting with FSB generals was followed by their reciprocal visit to Georgia by Geneeal Sedov and Sergey Beseda in 2017.
“The meeting was held in Vakhtang Gomelauri’s restaurant in Mtskheta. The restaurant was shut down. No-one was allowed, even the service personnel, except cooks. We ourselves, SSG officers, served them. Meeting at the table lasted for two-three hours,” recalls Samkharadze.
He added that a farewell party was held in Anderville restaurant in Tbilisi on Mtatsminda where the Russian guests gifted Gomelauri with FSB memorabilia and a watch.
The State Security Service did not return calls or respond to inquiries by Georgian media outlets.
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