Businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze, who was arrested in a courtroom on Tuesday, has alleged that he possesses compromising information against Georgia’s former Prime Minister and billionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Speaking in an interview with Formula TV, recorded prior to his arrest, Chikvaidze claimed he had been receiving death threats due to the information he holds.
Chikvaidze faces charges of embezzling large sums of money through abuse of office, allegedly in coordination with a group. However, he asserts that his legal troubles are politically motivated, tied to his refusal to participate in activities “linked to Russian interests”.
In the interview, Chikvaidze recounted two incidents he claimed had led to a fallout between him and Ivanishvili. The first reportedly involved Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is under Western sanctions.
Chikvaidze alleged that he was tasked with falsifying documents to enable Deripaska’s yacht, which was in neutral Turkish waters, to sail under the Georgian flag and evade sanctions before heading to Sochi. He claimed to have refused this request.
The second incident, he said, involved Andrei Grushanov, whom he described as a Russian intelligence officer and an adviser to Ivanishvili. Chikvaidze claimed that Grushanov’s wife, who allegedly practices occult rituals, had been serving Ivanishvili. He further alleged that Russian operatives had been present in Georgia for the past eight months, influencing political developments in an “anti-European” direction.
Chikvaidze warned that Russian intelligence services have gained near-total access to Georgia’s state institutions, with the process accelerating over the past six months.
The businessman further pledged that if his life were threatened in prison, his associates would immediately release audio recordings and other documentation he claimed to have in his possession.
Chikvaidze also said the materials include intercepted telephone conversations and documents that could have severe implications for high-ranking figures.
“If something happens to me, this information will not only be made public in Georgia but also internationally within an hour,” he told Formula TV. He also alleged that sources within Georgia’s security services have warned him about potential threats against his life while in custody.
Despite the claims, Chikvaidze said he would not publish the recordings preemptively, arguing that withholding them served as a form of protection.
