28 charged in corruption cases across nine regions of Georgia

Georgia’s State Security Service has arrested or charged 28 people in connection with 14 criminal cases involving alleged bribery, fraud, abuse of office, document forgery and commercial bribery, following a large-scale operation across nine regions.

Emzar Gagnidze, director of the Anti-Corruption Agency Department, said on Tuesday three people had been arrested and 11 others charged in five cases involving the alleged fraudulent appropriation of state funds through public procurement contracts.

The cases concern infrastructure projects in the municipalities of Tsalka, Akhaltsikhe and Tetritskaro, where private companies allegedly falsified documents and misappropriated tens of thousands of lari during road, water network and public school rehabilitation works.

Several defendants are also accused of supplying smaller quantities of Easter food products than required under contracts for Tbilisi kindergartens and Batumi free canteens, as well as providing lower-quality disinfectants.

The State Security Service said the alleged offences caused losses of 669,497 lari to the state.

Seven people were charged in three cases involving the alleged fraudulent acquisition of 91,564 square metres of state-owned land, abuse of office and official forgery in the municipalities of Dmanisi, Gurjaani and Tsalka. The alleged offences caused losses of 397,804 lari to the state.

Three people were arrested in separate bribery cases involving officials from the municipalities of Lanchkhuti and Tetritskaro and the Oni forestry service.

Four others were arrested in three cases involving the alleged production and sale of forged official documents and commercial bribery. The documents included a driving licence, a Georgian passport and a bachelor’s degree diploma.

Gagnidze said investigators had obtained audio and video evidence through covert investigative measures authorised by courts.

The State Security Service said investigations were continuing under several articles of Georgia’s Criminal Code and that the Anti-Corruption Agency would continue efforts to detect and prevent corruption-related offences.