Georgia’s State Security Service head vows ‘full probe’ into ex-Deputy Economy Minister’s corruption case

The head of Georgia’s State Security Service, Anri Okhanashvili, has pledged a full and objective investigation into the case of former First Deputy Minister of Economy Romeo Mikautadze, who was recently charged with abuse of official authority and the legalization of illicit income.

Speaking to journalists after presenting the Service’s annual activity report to Parliament on Tuesday, Okhanashvili emphasized that the investigation was still in its early stages and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions or focusing on individual names.

"This is just the beginning of the investigation," Okhanashvili said. "The legal standard has been created to bring a specific person to justice, but much remains to be uncovered."

The former deputy minister was detained several days ago following operational and investigative measures carried out by the State Security Service’s Anti-Corruption Agency. Authorities accuse Mikautadze of abusing his position and laundering millions of lari in illegal income.

While confirming that the case marked a significant development, Okhanashvili declined to speculate on potential future charges or to name additional individuals, stressing that the investigation was focused on verifying whether crimes were committed, rather than targeting specific people.

"We are not interested in names and surnames," he said. "Our task is to investigate concrete actions and establish whether a crime has occurred. Only after that does the question arise: who committed the crime?"

Okhanashvili said all necessary investigative steps would be taken and urged patience, reiterating that the process “must remain free of political interference and speculation.”

During his presentation in Parliament, Okhanashvili also acknowledged concerns about “how such a large-scale corruption case could have previously escaped oversight” but assured lawmakers that the Service was now acting decisively. “We are working and will shed light on all issues,” he pledged.