Georgia jails ex-security official over alleged large-scale bribery

A Tbilisi City Court has ordered pre-trial detention for former deputy head of Georgia’s State Security Service, Levan Akhobadze, in a case involving alleged large-scale bribery.

Akhobadze was detained by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

According to investigators, the former official, through intermediaries, promised a businessman assistance in recovering funds and initially demanded 500,000 lari (apprx. $187,900) for the service, though the parties later agreed on a reduced amount of 250,000 lari (apprx. $93,900).

He has been charged under a provision of Georgia’s Criminal Code covering receipt of a particularly large bribe using official position, which carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov