Ex-Georgian President Saakashvili receives nine-year prison sentence for misuse of state budget

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been sentenced to nine years in prison by the Tbilisi City Court for embezzling state funds during his time in office.

This latest conviction adds to the six-year sentence Saakashvili is already serving for separate cases, including the beating of MP Valerie Gelashvili and the controversial pardoning of those responsible for the murder of Sandro Girgvliani, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

The court found Saakashvili guilty of misappropriating budget funds for personal use during his presidency. The charges included using state resources to pay for his son's education, renting aeroplanes, and lease expensive cars, as well as purchasing items for his personal wardrobe. The indictment, which dates back to 2014, estimated the total damages at 9 million lari (approximately $2.9 million).

Saakashvili’s defence team maintained that the funds were spent on hospitality expenses. At a court session, Saakashvili defended himself, stating, "I am being tried as a thief and facing shameful charges for having undergone some medical procedures and wanting to represent my country at the highest level wherever I travelled and to meet well those who came here."

The nine-year sentence is set to run from the moment of Saakashvili’s detention on October 1, 2021, meaning he could be eligible for release on October 1, 2030.

In addition to the embezzlement case, Saakashvili is also facing trial for his role in the events of November 7, 2007, and for illegally crossing the Georgian border. According to Georgian law, if a final sentence is based on multiple crimes, a less severe punishment is absorbed by a more severe one.

Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili delivered the verdict, and Teimuraz Dzhanashia, Saakashvili’s former security chief, was also found guilty in the same case. However, Dzhanashia was only fined 3,000 GEL (over $1,000).

By Tamilla Hasanova