‘Person linked’ to ex-Security chief Liluashvili arrested on money laundering charges

A person associated with the former head of Georgia’s State Security Service (GSSS), Grigol Liluashvili, has been arrested on charges of large-scale money laundering, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced at a special briefing on Thursday.

Andria Liluashvili, identified as an associate of the former security chief, was detained during a joint operation conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and the State Security Service, the GSSS said. 

“Today, within the framework of a joint operation by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Security Service of Georgia, a person connected to Grigol Liluashvili - Andria Liluashvili - was detained on charges of large-scale money laundering,” the statement read.

The Prosecutor’s Office has charged Andria Liluashvili under Article 194 of the Criminal Code, which covers the legalization of illegal income. The offense carries a sentence of 9 to 12 years in prison. Authorities said they will seek pretrial detention as a preventive measure.

Prosecutors and security officials are continuing the investigation to identify other individuals potentially linked to Andria Liluashvili. 

Andria Liluashvili is the third person associated with Grigol Liluashvili to face criminal charges.

The arrest follows the detention of Koba Khundadze on 22 October, another individual tied to Liluashvili. Law enforcement officers reportedly seized $1,319,300 in cash, divided into 94 envelopes, during a search of Khundadze’s residence.

The State Security Service has also issued a search warrant for Bichiko Paikidze, a relative of Grigol Liluashvili and a former representative of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Vani Municipal Assembly.

Grigol Liluashvili’s name first emerged in connection with the money laundering case on 17 October, when investigative authorities raided the residences of three former high-ranking officials - former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, former security chief Grigol Liluashvili, and former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze.

During the searches, investigators seized large sums of cash, electronic devices, and documents. The following day, the State Security Service revealed that the total amount confiscated from various locations included $7,002,200, 136,000 GEL, 198 pieces of jewelry and watches, valuable paintings, thousands of pages of documents, 50 mobile phones, and 119 electronic devices.

Since those raids, media outlets have repeatedly questioned whether the investigation leads toward Garibashvili and Liluashvili.