The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has charged Guram Kakulia, Davit Kakulia and Besarion Zhvania with organizing an ordered, group premeditated murder of 22-year-old tech entrepreneur Nikoloz (Nika) Kvaratskhelia, Tbilisi Prosecutor Giorgi Mikaia announced.
Prosecution says the case has been solved following an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Investigators allege that brothers Guram and Davit Kakulia planned the killing in order to take revenge on so-called “thief in law” Gia Kvaratskhelia and to strengthen their authority in the criminal underworld. Prosecutors say the motive stemmed from the 2001 killing of the Kakulia brothers’ father, Davit Kakulia, in Moscow, amid speculation at the time that Gia Kvaratskhelia had ordered that murder.
Based on the charges, the Kakulia brothers allegedly tasked their associate Besarion Zhvania with arranging the murder of Nikoloz Kvaratskhelia. Zhvania is said to have contacted Aleko Chelidze and Giorgi Kaviladze, offering them money to carry out the killing. The two later traveled several times to Armenia in July and August 2021, where they allegedly received instructions from the Kakulia brothers.
Prosecutors state that in early September 2021, Guram and Davit Kakulia illegally crossed into Georgia and stayed at a house on Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue owned by Zhvania’s family. Chelidze and Kaviladze reportedly visited the residence regularly and were provided with a mobile phone for coordination during the planned attack.
The two convicted perpetrators allegedly acquired firearms and ammunition, conducted surveillance of Kvaratskhelia’s residence and daily movements, and rented a Hyundai Elantra vehicle on September 14, 2021.
On September 15, 2021, at approximately 4:20 p.m., Chelidze and Kaviladze ambushed Kvaratskhelia on Anjaparidze Street in Tbilisi. Prosecutors say Chelidze fired multiple shots at the victim, chasing him as he attempted to flee. Despite being rushed to hospital by bystanders, Kvaratskhelia died later that day from his injuries.
After the shooting, the gunmen allegedly informed the Kakulia brothers by phone. The brothers reportedly left their temporary residence shortly afterward. Kaviladze also contacted Zhvania using a taxi driver’s mobile phone to inform him of the murder, according to investigators.
The Prosecutor’s Office has charged Guram Kakulia, Davit Kakulia and Besarion Zhvania under Articles 25 and 109 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (as amended in 2021), which provide for a sentence of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
Chelidze and Kaviladze have already been convicted of group premeditated murder and illegal acquisition and possession of firearms. They were sentenced to 17 and 16 years in prison, respectively.
The Kakulia brothers are currently serving separate prison sentences in another criminal case. In 2022, they were convicted of attempted premeditated murder after shooting and wounding a person on Arakishvili Street in Tbilisi, for which they received nine-year sentences.
The Prosecutor’s Office said it will seek pre-trial detention for Besarion Zhvania and that he will be declared wanted in accordance with the law. The investigation remains ongoing to identify any additional individuals involved.
Nika Kvaratskhelia was a rising figure in Georgia’s technology sector and the founder of the Feedc platform. His killing in 2021 shocked both the business community and the wider public.
