The Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service has detained Levan Akhobadze, the former deputy head of the State Security Service. The relevant statement was made by the State Security Service a few minutes ago.

According to the agency, Levan Akhobadze has been detained on the fact of accepting a particularly large bribe.

Levan Akhobadze was the deputy head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili.

"As a result of operational-search and investigative measures carried out by the employees of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service, the former Deputy Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Levan Akhobadze, has been detained on the fact of taking a bribe in a particularly large amount. The investigation into the case established that in April 2024, while holding the position of Deputy Head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili, he became aware that an undeclared amount of money in the amount of 40,000,000 Russian rubles (1,164,000 GEL at the exchange rate of the National Bank) was confiscated from a private entrepreneur at the Georgia-Russia state border, at the Larsi customs checkpoint. According to Georgian legislation, transporting or transferring cash in an amount exceeding 100,000 GEL across the customs border of Georgia bypassing customs control, concealing or misdeclaring, shall be punishable by a fine of 10% of the value of the cash or by confiscation of the goods. The said entrepreneur, in order to pay the fine provided for by law and return the amount due, in compliance with legal procedures, applied to the relevant bodies of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance, but was refused to return the amount. After that, Levan Akhobadze, the former Deputy Head of the State Security Service, contacted him through intermediaries and promised to assist in returning the confiscated amount. As a result of negotiations, by paying the 10% fine provided for by law, the entrepreneur returned the confiscated amount of money at the Larsi customs checkpoint on April 30, 2024, after which Levan Akhobadze contacted him again through intermediaries and, in exchange for assistance, offered him a bribe of 500,000, however, as it is clear from one of the testimonies, with the intervention of the then head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili, the requested amount was halved and a few days after the return of the confiscated amount, the said person handed over GEL 250,000 to an intermediary for transfer to Levan Akhobadze. It has also been established that the amount paid as a bribe was handed over to the then deputy head of the State Security Service in his office on the same day. The investigation into the said act is underway under Article 338, Part 3, Subparagraph “e” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for imprisonment for a term of 11 to 15 years as a form and measure of punishment. The investigation into the case continues with the aim of exposing other individuals involved in the crime and collecting relevant evidence, as well as revealing other similar crimes," Emzar Gagnidze, Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service, said at the briefing at the State Security Service.