Koba Khundadze, who is charged with particularly large-scale money laundering and whom the State Security Service (SSS) says is close to Grigol Liluashvili, has been released from custody.

As his lawyer told InterpressNews, Khundadze left the penitentiary facility on Friday, January 16, after posting bail. The defense attorney did not comment on the specific grounds on which the strictest preventive measure - pretrial detention - was replaced with bail.

At the same time, according to information circulating in the media, amid Khundadze’s release, his brother Vladimir Khundadze was detained. Vladimir Khundadze served as a deputy head of the Revenue Service. As reported by TV Pirveli, Vladimir Khundadze voluntarily appeared before the investigative authorities.

For reference, Koba Khundadze, who is linked to Grigol Liluashvili, was charged with particularly large-scale money laundering, an offense punishable by 9 to 12 years in prison. During a search of the defendant’s residence, law enforcement seized cash amounts sorted into 94 envelopes, totaling USD 1,319,300.

Khundadze had previously been placed in pretrial detention as a preventive measure.