Giorgi Chikvaidze, a businessman who once backed the ruling Georgian Dream party but now accuses the government of enabling business fraud, was sent to pretrial detention on Tuesday over embezzlement charges. His business partner, Irakli Papiashvili, was granted bail and will remain free.
During the hearing, Prosecutor Giorgi Javarashvili also said a criminal case had been opened against the businessmen for attempting to illegally cross the border:
“Information has been received regarding the illegal crossing of the
border. He Chikvaidze] was near Sadakhlo on March 6-7, which led to an investigation. The ongoing investigation is a new circumstance for reviewing the preventive measure”, he said.
He further claimed that Chikvaidze and Papiashvili did not attend court proceedings, failed to participate in witness questioning, and “deliberately delayed the case.”
In response, Chikvaidze denied the allegations, saying that the prosecution had not provided evidence confirming any attempt to cross the border illegally.
“I don’t even know where the Sadakhlo checkpoint is. I brought alfalfa seeds to the center of Sartichala, to a friend’s family, for the Bayram holiday. I took two sacks out of the car and left,” the defendant claimed during the trial.
His lawyer also demanded evidence over the alleged border crossing attempt and refuted accusations of missed hearings:
“There is no need to start an investigation – any police officer can claim to have received operational information, and an investigation will begin. At least bring satellite images or other evidence. As for attendance, they missed court sessions only two or three times due to illness. Additionally, hundreds of sessions are conducted without the defendant’s presence,” the lawyer argued.
Chikvaidze, a 38-year-old businessman and former supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has in recent months accused the government of facilitating “business fraud” and has expressed concerns over his physical safety.
The Prosecutor’s Office has opened a case against Chikvaidze and Papiashvili based on a complaint filed by their former client, Elguja Turmanidze, the owner of the construction company ETS Building.
The prosecution alleged that Chikvaidze’s company, Ramzes Georgian Yachting Platform, had accepted GEL 1,155,019 to import a yacht under a purchase agreement but failed to deliver it.
According to ETS Building’s lawyers, the funds were transferred in four installments, but Chikvaidze did not procure the yacht and allegedly misused the money – returning only €50,000.
Chikvaidze, however, claimed that Turmanidze is closely connected to Aleksandre Ivanishvili, the brother of Georgian Dream ruling party founder and its honorary chair Bidzina Ivanishvili, and accused him of leveraging the ties.
Chikvaidze further alleged that Turmanidze attempted to involve him and his partner in illicit activities, including money laundering and drug-related schemes, which they refused. As a result, he claimed, he had severed all business ties with Turmanidze.
The prosecution has charged Chikvaidze and Papiashvili for large-scale embezzlement committed through abuse of office.
Initially, both businessmen were granted bail set at 50,000 GEL each, alongside restrictions on border travel. However, with the latest ruling, Chikvaidze will now remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
