Bichiko Paikidze, a former member of the Georgian Dream in the Vani City Council and the owner of the company B.P. TRANS, wanted by Interpol under the so-called red circular, who was arrested in Spain, is free, Paikidze’s lawyer, Irma Chkadua, told InterpressNews.

According to her, Paikidze was released from custody on the same day of his arrest, on December 9, although the lawyer is not talking about the reason for this at this stage.

Information about the arrest of Bichiko Paikidze was announced by Beka Khunashvili, the prosecutor of his case, at the trial on December 19. As the state prosecutor stated at the time, Paikidze’s extradition procedures were underway.

For information, Bichiko Paikidze, a former member of the Georgian Dream in the Vani City Council, is charged with actions taken from June 2021 to September 2022. In particular, according to the investigation, during the implementation of the state tender, during the implementation of the bank protection works of the Kutaisi-Alpana-Mamisoni Pass section of the highway and certain sections damaged by the natural disaster in the area of ​​Oni municipality, Bichiko Paikidze, the owner of 100% of the shares of LLC "B.P. TRANS", with the help of the director of the same company Valerian Kvaratskhelia and the company's employee Ioseb Chanchaleishvili, as well as the managers of the company exercising control over the execution of the tender - Roin Popkhadze, Giorgi Kvakhadze and Irakli Galogre, fraudulently appropriated the amount belonging to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia - 4,184,249 GEL, which caused a large amount of damage and substantially violated the legitimate interests of the state.

The owner of the company, Bichiko Paikidze, has been charged in absentia under Article 180, Part 3, Subparagraph “b” and Article 362, Part 2, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which involves fraudulent appropriation of a large amount of money and preparation and use of false official documents, which caused significant damage. The aforementioned act is punishable by up to 9 years of imprisonment.

Pre-trial detention has been applied against Paikidze in absentia as a preventive measure, after which an international search has been launched for him.