According to Prosecutor Ana Lekiashvili, the prosecution has evidence in the case of Levan Akhobadze that confirms he took a bribe.

Regarding Akhobadze’s former superior, Grigol Liluashvili, and whether his charges may be aggravated, the prosecutor explained that the investigation is ongoing and that if the involvement or criminal connection of other persons is established, it will be given a legal assessment.

As for Levan Akhobadze himself, Lekiashvili stated that the investigation into his case began in February 2026 based on operational information.

“The former Deputy Head of the State Security Service, Levan Akhobadze, was ordered into pretrial detention. The court fully shared the prosecution’s evidence and also agreed with the assessed risks, applying the strictest preventive measure - detention,” she said.

“The prosecution argued that there were risks of reoffending, absconding, and influencing witnesses, which the court agreed with and considered sufficiently substantiated to justify detention,” Lekiashvili added.

She also spoke about the evidence in the case:

“The evidence includes interrogation protocols of certain individuals, seized documentation, customs documents, detailed phone records obtained upon request, written documentation, and so on. I believe that, under the standard of reasonable suspicion, this clearly confirms that Levan Akhobadze committed the charged offense - bribery under Article 338, Part 3, Subparagraph ‘e’ of the Criminal Code.”

When asked about witnesses, she clarified that State Security Service employees are not witnesses in the case. According to her, witnesses include various individuals, including the person who gave the bribe, intermediaries, and others who had relevant information about the case.

She was also asked why former SSS head Grigol Liluashvili has not been charged, given reports that he allegedly influenced the reduction of the bribe amount from 500,000 to 250,000 GEL. The prosecutor responded that the investigation is still in its early stage.

“At this stage, the investigation is at an initial phase. Charges have been brought against Levan Akhobadze based on his actions, and the investigation continues. If links to other individuals are established, the prosecution will assess their legal responsibility accordingly. As for Grigol Liluashvili not being included in the indictment, the case file currently contains only certain factual circumstances based on witness statements,” she said.

Asked whether charges could be brought against Grigol Liluashvili later, the prosecutor replied that if grounds arise, other individuals’ actions will also be given legal evaluation.

“Based on the circumstances of the case, charges have been brought against a specific person on the basis of the evidence available today. If the involvement or connections of other persons are identified, they will of course be subject to legal assessment. The investigation is ongoing,” Lekiashvili stated.