Former head of the State Security Service of Georgia Grigol Liluashvili has been arrested on multiple bribery charges, Giorgi Gvarakidze, Prosecutor General of Georgia, announced at a briefing held at the Prosecutor’s Office.
Gvarakidze claimed Liluashvili is accused of accepting bribes in several criminal cases currently under investigation. The Prosecutor’s Office will apply to the court within the legally prescribed timeframe to seek pre-trial detention.
The arrest followed joint operational and investigative actions carried out by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia and the State Security Service.
Alleged Episodes
First episode (October 2022):
Liluashvili allegedly received a bribe of USD 1 million from Turkish investor Chagatai Ulker, via Romeo Mikautadze, then First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. The bribe was allegedly paid in exchange for lobbying the signing of a memorandum of understanding related to the construction of wind power plants.
Second episode (February 2022):
Through the same intermediary, Romeo Mikautadze, Liluashvili is accused of demanding and extorting GEL 1.5 million from Giorgi Khazhalia, founder of “Express Service 2008,” in return for assistance in gasification tenders.
Third episode (2021–2023):
Despite a declared state campaign against fraudulent call centers, dozens allegedly continued to operate in Georgia. According to witness testimony, most were linked to a group financing opposition media outlets, while a smaller portion allegedly operated under Liluashvili’s protection through his relative Sandro Liluashvili. Investigators claim Liluashvili received approximately USD 1,365,000 in bribes through Sandro Liluashvili as part of this scheme.
The investigation is also examining allegations that, in coordination with accomplices, Liluashvili helped conceal the existence of these call centers, while opposition media outlets allegedly refrained from reporting on them despite having information.
Fourth episode:
Liluashvili is accused of abusing his official position to provide protection to his associate Kakha Gvantseladze, former head of the Tbilisi City Hall Kindergarten Management Agency, in exchange for bribes. Gvantseladze allegedly received particularly large bribes from business entities related to kindergarten procurement contracts.
The scheme allegedly involved additional agency employees responsible for financial accounting, calculations, and monitoring; all have been charged as defendants.
Charges and Evidence
Prosecutors say hundreds of investigative actions have been conducted, including witness interviews whose testimonies corroborate the alleged crimes. Video and audio recordings and other evidence have also been seized.
Liluashvili has been charged under Article 338, Part 2, Subparagraph “c,” and Part 3, Subparagraph “e” of the Criminal Code of Georgia—taking a bribe in particularly large amounts by a group acting by prior agreement—an offense punishable by 11 to 15 years in prison.
The investigation continues to identify additional crimes and detain other individuals allegedly involved. Gvarakidze said Georgian law enforcement remains committed to combating corruption “to reduce it to a historical minimum.”
Prior to the briefing, Liluashvili appeared at the Prosecutor’s Office for questioning.
