The Tbilisi Court of Appeal has upheld the verdict of the Tbilisi City Court and found Giorgi Chikvaidze and Irakli Papiashvili guilty of illegally appropriating a large amount of money by a group through prior agreement and using official position. This information is disseminated by the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia.

According to the agency, Giorgi Chikvaidze was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment, and Irakli Papiashvili to 8 years of imprisonment as a form and measure of punishment.

“During the court hearing, it was confirmed that on September 10, 2022, Giorgi Chikvaidze and Irakli Papiashvili, through a company under their control, concluded a contract with the victim company for the sale of a yacht worth 416,700 euros.

Based on the concluded contract, the victim company transferred the full amount for the yacht to the company under the control of the convicted Giorgi Chikvaidze and Irakli Papiashvili.

However, the convicted persons did not deliver the yacht provided for in the contract to the victim company and illegally appropriated the transferred funds – 1,155,019 GEL (equivalent to 416,700 euros).

We remind the public that by the verdict of the Tbilisi City Court, Giorgi Chikvaidze and Irakli Papiashvili were found guilty under subparagraphs “a” and “d” of Part 2 and subparagraph “b” of Part 3 of Article 182 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal appropriation of a large amount of money by a group through prior agreement and using official position), and Giorgi Chikvaidze was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment, while Irakli Papiashvili was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment as a form and measure of punishment.

We emphasize that the prosecution side did not offer a plea agreement to the convicted persons,” – the information states.