Ukrainian State Border Service: There was no order to deny entry to Saakashvili
The State Border Service of Ukraine (SBSU) did not receive any orders from Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to ban the Odessa Regional State Administration ex-head Mikheil Saakashvili’s entry to Ukraine, as stated by the First Deputy Head of the SBSU, Vasily Servatyuk at the subcommittee meeting on the control over compliance with the legislation in the field of preventing and combating corruption by state authorities and local self-government hosted by the Anti-corruption Committee.
"The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has never had any instructions from any law enforcement agencies to ban Mr. Saakashvili's entry," said Servatyuk.
Members of the subcommittee also asked whether the State Border Service intended to take measures to stop movement through the Krakovets checkpoint on September 10, when Saakashvili plans to cross the border into Ukraine. Servatyuk replied that no such measures have been planned.
"But if any issues occur at the checkpoint or before the checkpoint, which may prevent free movement of citizens and vehicles, the SBSU, in accordance with the agreements, has the right to limit [movement]," he noted.
Servatyuk also has said that according to the procedure, the decision to allow people through the checkpoint is made by the junior inspector of the border guard service depending on whether he is presented with a valid document that gives the right to cross the border.
"If he [Saakashvili] does not provide such a document, he will not be passed through." Servatyuk also assured that he intended to be present at this checkpoint at the time when Saakashvili plans to cross the border.
Earlier, the State Border Service’s press secretary, Oleh Slobodyan announced that the border guards would refuse to allow Saakashvili to cross the Ukrainian border if he arrived at the checkpoint.