The Anti-Corruption Agency of Georgia’s State Security Service has detained former Deputy Head of the agency, Levan Akhobadze, on charges of accepting a particularly large bribe.
The information was announced by the State Security Service (SSG) on Friday.
Agency says Akhobadze was detained following operational-search and investigative measures conducted by the Anti-Corruption Agency. Authorities say the investigation established that in April 2024, while serving as deputy head of the SSG under then-chief Grigol Liluashvili, Akhobadze became aware of the confiscation of an undeclared sum of 40 million Russian rubles — equivalent to approximately 1.16 million GEL at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Georgia — from a private entrepreneur at the Georgia-Russia border crossing at the Larsi customs checkpoint.
Based on the Georgian law, transporting or transferring more than 100,000 GEL in cash across Georgia’s customs border without declaration, by bypassing customs control, or through concealment or misdeclaration, is punishable by a fine amounting to 10% of the cash value or confiscation.
The State Security Service said the entrepreneur had applied to the relevant bodies of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance to pay the legally prescribed fine and recover the confiscated funds, but was denied the return of the money.
Investigators say Akhobadze later contacted the entrepreneur through intermediaries and promised assistance in recovering the confiscated amount. Following negotiations, the entrepreneur paid the required 10% fine and recovered the confiscated funds at the Larsi checkpoint on April 30, 2024.
Authorities allege that Akhobadze subsequently contacted the entrepreneur again through intermediaries and demanded a bribe of 500,000 GEL in exchange for his assistance. However, based on the testimony cited by investigators, intervention by then-SSG chief Grigol Liluashvili allegedly reduced the requested amount by half.
“A few days after the return of the confiscated amount, the said person handed over GEL 250,000 to an intermediary for transfer to Levan Akhobadze,” said Emzar Gagnidze during a briefing at the State Security Service.
Investigators further claim the bribe money was delivered to Akhobadze in his office on the same day.
The investigation is underway under Article 338, Part 3, Subparagraph “e” of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns accepting a particularly large bribe and carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.
State Security Service says investigative actions are continuing to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the crime, collect additional evidence, and uncover similar offenses.
