Here is a summary of the article:
Giorgi Chikvaidze, a former close associate of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream (GD), has been charged with money laundering and other crimes. However, in recent interviews, he has claimed to have turned against the GD and now considers himself an opposition figure.
The article lists several instances of Chikvaidze’s past support for the GD, including:
* Expressing support for Kakha Kaladze, a candidate for mayor of Tbilisi, on TV Pirveli in 2017
* Voting for Georgian Dream in the 2020 parliamentary elections and posting a photo of his ballot on social media
* Selling a yacht to Bidzina Ivanishvili’s wife, Ekaterine Khvedelidze, in 2021
* Notifying the State Security Service about allegedly banned substances belonging to Ivanishvili, which he claimed to have successfully brought to Montenegro
* Sharing videos of GD rallies and expressing support for the party on social media
However, Chikvaidze claims that in 2022, he was ordered to carry out a “very anti-state” task, which he refused to do. He also alleges that businessman Elguja Turmanidze attempted to influence him to try drugs and get involved in money laundering schemes.
Chikvaidze has now gone on hunger strike while in prison, protesting his charges and the treatment of opposition figures in Georgia.