Mayor’s representative in Akhalkalaki detained on bribery charges

An official representing the mayor of Akhalkalaki Municipality in the village of Diliska has been detained by officers of the State Security Service’s Anti-Corruption Agency on charges of accepting a bribe in exchange for issuing false documentation.

The State Security Service (SSSG) on Thursday said the case concerned an incident in which the official, identified as O.G., allegedly accepted a bribe to issue a falsified certificate confirming the origin of agricultural products.

The investigation found that O.G. prepared three false certificates claiming that 25 tonnes of potatoes (a total of 75 tonnes) grown in the Diliska administrative unit had been sold to a specific business entity.

According to O.G.’s own statement, the fraudulent certificates would allow the products to be sold at higher prices both in Georgia and abroad, since potatoes grown in Akhalkalaki Municipality are considered more valuable on the market compared to those from other regions.

In exchange for issuing the falsified documents, the official allegedly demanded and received a bribe of 6,000 GEL from the business entity on 15 October 2025.

Based on a court order, covert investigative operations were conducted, resulting in the collection of audio and video evidence confirming the illegal transaction.

The investigation is ongoing under Article 338, Part 1 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which carries a penalty of six to nine years’ imprisonment.