Several real estate properties belonging to former head of the State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili have been placed under seizure, his lawyer said following a visit to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.
Defense attorney Robert Grigalashvili says the seizure covers multiple immovable assets registered in Liluashvili’s name, including an apartment. He stated that the measures were imposed approximately two months ago, at the initial stage of the investigation.
“The immovable property, including the apartment registered in his name, is under seizure. This seizure was imposed when the investigation was launched. I know that real estate has been seized, though I am not familiar with all the materials. The list is not very long. You can see the properties in his asset declaration — several immovable properties in Tbilisi, where he lived. There is nothing particularly special beyond that,” the lawyer told TV Pirveli.
Grigalashvili emphasized that the seizure applies to Liluashvili’s high-value assets and that, under the law, such property cannot be used as bail.
“As a preventive measure, Liluashvili’s expensive property has been seized, and it is legally impossible to bail it out,” he said.
Regarding preventive measures, the lawyer noted that the defense will request that the court leave Liluashvili without any restrictive measures.
“The procedure requires me to request that he be left without a preventive measure. When a person does not admit guilt, they do not agree to any preventive measure. However, there is practice whereby non-custodial measures may be applied as alternatives, including bail. We will discuss this option, agree on it, and I will announce our position at the trial after consulting with the family,” Grigalashvili said, adding that the amount of potential bail has not yet been determined.
Responding to concerns about possible interference with the investigation, the lawyer dismissed such claims as speculative.
“It is only an assumption that there may be a threat that Liluashvili will put pressure on someone,” he said.
Liluashvili was arrested a day earlier after appearing at the Prosecutor’s Office for questioning. He has been charged under Article 338, Part 2, Subparagraph ‘c’, and Part 3, Subparagraph ‘e’ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concern accepting a particularly large bribe by a group acting by prior agreement. The charges carry a potential sentence of 11 to 15 years in prison.
Image: IPN
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