Georgian State Security arrests 21 individuals on charges of corruption crimes revealed in 7 different criminal cases

The Georgian State Security Service on Thursday said a total of 21 individuals were arrested and prosecuted over corruption crimes revealed in seven different criminal cases as a result of a large-scale anti-corruption operation conducted across various regions by officers of the Anti-Corruption Agency.

As the Security Service noted, in the first criminal case, within the framework of joint measures carried out with the General Inspectorate of the Defence Ministry and the Prosecutor's Office,a psychiatrist from the Mental Health and Drug Abuse Prevention Center of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection of IDPs from the Occupied Territories and a security officer from the same center were detained on charges of bribery and assistance in bribery, as well as official forgery.

“The investigation has established that the psychiatrist, with the help of a security officer, in order to evade the national military service of conscripts, made a false medical diagnosis to a conscript and prepared a medical certificate containing false information, using which he could evade military service for a certain period of time”, the statement said.

The offences are punishable by six to nine years of imprisonment.

In the second criminal case, by prior agreement, one individual was detained and another was charged with fraud by group.

“The investigation conducted at this stage has revealed that the defendants, allegedly with the help of a member of the military and medical commission, promised a citizen a postponement of conscription into the national military service by establishing a temporary incompatibility of health. In return, they demanded the citizen pay ₾10,000 [$3,711] and took ₾5,000 [$1,856] in advance. In reality, they did not provide any assistance and the received amount was fraudulently appropriated”, the Service said.

The offences are punishable by four to seven years of imprisonment.

In the third criminal case, the former head of the Kareli Municipality City Hall, the Military Registration and Conscription Service, and the manager of Bermukha LLC were charged with abuse of official authority, official forgery, and multiple production, sale, and use of forged official documents.

“The investigation revealed that the former head of the Military Registration and Conscription Service, using his official position, without the decisions of the relevant commissions, and by falsifying medical reports, registered six conscripts for alternative labor service, some of whom were sent to Bermukha LLC to perform alternative non-military labor service. The de facto manager of the company repeatedly issued false certificates and descriptions, stating that the conscripts in question were employed by Bermukha LLC and were undergoing non-military, alternative labor service. Another detail is that during the period in question, some of the conscripts were abroad”, the statement said.

The offences are punishable by three to six years of imprisonment.

In the fourth criminal case, four doctors from Krol Medical Corporation LLC and Tbilisi Central Hospital LLC were held criminally liable for the facts of group commercial bribery and the production and sale of fake official documents.

“The investigation has established that the doctors, who were in criminal connection with them and who were already exposed in the same case for aiding group commercial bribery, prepared false health certificates and other medical documentation for 315 citizens, and ensured their placement in the relevant electronic database of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia, on the basis of which the citizens were illegally granted the status of a person with disabilities and were assigned a state pension. At this stage, 107 people have been interviewed who confirm receiving a state pension based on a fake document”, the statement said.

The offences are punishable by four to six years of imprisonment.

In the fifth criminal case, representatives of Elmari LLC, the director of Tegika Universal LLC and an expert of Expert Service LLC were charged with fraud and assistance in fraud on a large scale, as well as the production and use of a forged official document.

“The investigation conducted at this stage has established that during the rehabilitation works of the football field located in the village of Khidistavi, Chokhatauri Municipality, the director of Tegika Universal LLC, with the help of a trustee of Elmari LLC and an expert of Expert Service LLC, fraudulently appropriated ₾19,090 [$7,085] belonging to the Chokhatauri Municipality City Hall”, the Service said.

The offences are punishable by six to nine years of imprisonment.

In the sixth criminal case, the director and accountant of Euro Road LLC, the director of Biltmore LLC, and the former supervisor of the inspection body Expert House LLC were charged with fraud and aiding and abetting fraud by a group in a large amount, as well as the preparation and use of a forged official document.

“The investigation revealed that, based on the agreement signed between the Gurjaani City Hall and Biltmore LLC, the subcontractor organisation Euro Road LLC carried out road rehabilitation works worth ₾477,551 [$177,229]. The technical supervision of the works was provided by the Expert House LLC, hired by the Gurjaani Municipality City Hall, based on whose conclusion the payment was made”, the Service noted.

“According to the conclusion of the engineering expertise, a difference of ₾38,158 [$14,161] was recorded between the actually performed works and the acts of performance drawn up by the company. In turn, the said responsible persons fraudulently appropriated ₾38,158 [$14,161] belonging to the Gurjaani Municipality City Hall”, the service added.

The offences are punishable by six to nine years of imprisonment.

In the seventh criminal case, an employee of the Gurjaani Municipality City Hall, a representative of the mayor of the same municipality in Gurjaani, and two citizens were charged with fraud, aiding and abetting fraud, and making and using a forged official document by using their official position.

“The investigation revealed that the employee of the Gurjaani Municipality City Hall intended to fraudulently acquire a 3,900 sq. m. plot of land located on G. Leonidze Street in Gurjaani. In order to fulfill his intention, he applied to the National Agency of Public Registry with a statement and requested sporadic registration of rights to the plot of land. The mayor's representative, who was responsible for studying the issue, used his official position to draw up and issue a false title deed, on the basis of which the land plot was illegally registered in the name of the said employee of the Gurjaani City Hall, causing damage to the state in the amount of ₾70,200 [$26,053]”, the statement said.

The offences are punishable by six to nine years of imprisonment.

State Security Service noted that in relation to the said crimes, undercover investigative actions were carried out within the framework of the investigation, based on court rulings, as a result of which audio and video evidence of the commission of the said criminal act was obtained.

The Service added that the Anti-Corruption Agency continued to work to detect and prevent any corruption crime.