Russian citizen charged in Georgia over alleged bribery attempt at border

Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged a Russian citizen with bribery after he allegedly attempted to pay off a border guard to cross into the country without proper documents.

The incident took place at the Dariali border checkpoint, where the suspect offered a $100 bribe to a border control officer in exchange for being allowed entry by car, the Prosecutor’s Office said. He was detained on the spot.

The man has been charged under Article 339 (Part 2) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which covers bribery to commit an unlawful act. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of four to seven years. Prosecutors have asked the court to impose pre-trial detention.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also confirmed the arrest of a foreign citizen born in 1986, identified as S.G. It said a parallel investigation was under way under Article 362, which concerns the production, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps or forms. This offence carries a potential prison term of up to three years.