Ex-Prosecutor General, journalist, 8 others charged in $9.5 mln call center fraud case

Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday launched criminal proceedings against ten individuals in connection with what it described as a large-scale, organized call center fraud and money laundering scheme operating between 2020 and 2023.

At a briefing, prosecutors said charges have been filed in absentia against former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, who is currently in hiding, along with alleged members of his criminal network - David Mikadze, Irakli Sekhniashvili and Mikheil Chokheli.

An indictment will also be formally served on Giorgi Mikadze, who is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges. Authorities have detained journalist Eliso Kiladze as part of the same investigation.

Four additional suspects - Givi Jibladze, Ben Anor, Tornike Janelidze and Giorgi Kamlaze - have also been charged. Prosecutors said that the individuals cooperated with investigators, admitted their involvement and provided substantial assistance in uncovering what authorities described as a transnational criminal scheme.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance, the group operated through a coordinated and structured hierarchy. Investigators alleged that the organization functioned under Partskhaladze’s patronage and was designed to generate illicit financial gains through fraudulent investment schemes and subsequently launder the proceeds.

The group allegedly established multiple legal entities in Georgia, which served as fronts for fraudulent call centers operating at various locations in Tbilisi. These centers reportedly included Russian-, English- and German-language divisions.

Operators are accused of attracting victims to fake online trading platforms by promising lucrative investment opportunities. Prosecutors alleged that victims were persuaded to transfer substantial sums of money or cryptocurrency, which the group then fraudulently appropriated. The proceeds were subsequently fragmented, transferred through multiple crypto-wallet transactions and integrated into the financial system.

Investigators said the scheme targeted more than 200 foreign nationals, with the total value of misappropriated cryptocurrency estimated at approximately $9.5 million.

Prosecutors state that Jibladze, Anor, Janelidze and Kamlaze were responsible for the operational management of the call centers, including strategic decisions on expansion and relocation, financial oversight, salary and bonus distribution, and the allocation of funds to partners and alleged patrons.

Meanwhile, Mikadze, Mikadze, Sekhniashvili and Chokheli are accused of providing protection for the operation through Partskhaladze’s alleged influence, shielding the scheme from law enforcement scrutiny and competitive interference, while participating in key decision-making processes.

Authorities further alleged that Kiladze provided informational support aimed at portraying the group’s activities as legitimate in the event of exposure. She is also accused of disseminating or threatening to disseminate information about competing call centers not under the group’s control, allegedly to exert pressure or secure leverage.

According to investigators, the laundered funds were used to finance operational expenses, including salaries and bonuses, as well as to purchase movable and immovable property. Prosecutors alleged that these assets were acquired under the guise of legally obtained income.

All ten defendants have been charged under Articles 180 (fraud) and 194 (money laundering) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, offenses that carry prison sentences ranging from nine to 12 years.

The Prosecutor’s Office said it will seek pre-trial detention for Kiladze, Giorgi Mikadze and the six defendants currently evading justice - Partskhaladze, David Mikadze, Sekhniashvili and Chokheli. In light of their cooperation with the investigation, prosecutors will request bail as a preventive measure for Jibladze, Anor, Janelidze and Kamlaze.