Ex-Defence Minister Kezerashvili: ‘Part of weapons is mine, rest was planted by Interior Ministry’

Former Georgian Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili has clarified that part of the weapons seized during a search of his property belong to him and denied any connection between the weapons and Dimitri Chikovani, his brother-in-law and secretary of public relations for the opposition United National Movement.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Kezerashvili explained that the seized weapons had been lawfully owned and stored at his residence prior to his departure from Georgia in October 2012. He stated that both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the courts had long been aware of the weapons, as they were previously confiscated along with other assets during earlier investigations.

“The part of the weapon seized during the search of the house owned by me, which has not been inhabited since 2012, belongs to me, and Dimitri Chikovani has never had any contact with it. The firearm stored in my home was registered and kept in full compliance with the law,” wrote Kezerashvili.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on December 6 that a search conducted on December 4 at the residence—where Chikovani now resides—uncovered registered and unregistered firearms, silencers, ammunition, computer equipment, and memory cards. Kezerashvili, however, dismissed parts of the Ministry’s account as fabricated.

“Everything that is not accounted for or signed is being imposed by the agency,” Kezerashvili said, alleging that the ongoing investigation is part of a broader, politically motivated persecution campaign against him and his family, which he claims has lasted more than 12 years.
Kezerashvili also criticized the Ministry of Internal Affairs under Vakhtang Gomelauri, accusing it of targeting freedom-loving citizens in Georgia through intimidation and persecution. “Despite years of pressure, intimidation in Georgia has not yielded results and will not in the future,” he concluded.

The case remains under investigation, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not responded to Kezerashvili’s latest statement.