A total of 28 people have been arrested and charged with criminal offenses in connection with bribery, the production and distribution of forged official documents, commercial bribery committed by a group, the fraudulent misappropriation of state funds and land plots, and abuse of official authority, Director of the State Security Service's (SSS) Anti-Corruption Agency Emzar Gagnidze announced during a briefing.

According to Gagnidze, the large-scale operation was carried out across nine regions of Georgia.

"Following a large-scale operation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service in nine regions of Georgia, crimes uncovered in 14 separate criminal cases led to the arrest and criminal prosecution of 28 individuals. The offenses include bribery, the production and distribution of forged official documents, commercial bribery committed by a group, the fraudulent misappropriation of state-owned funds and land plots, and abuse of official authority.

In five separate criminal cases involving the fraudulent misappropriation of state funds allocated through public procurement, three individuals were arrested and charges were brought against 11 others.

The cases concern the rehabilitation of road sections, internal drinking water networks, and public schools in the municipalities of Tsalka, Akhaltsikhe, and Tetritskaro. Investigators allege that private companies falsified documentation and engaged in other illegal activities to fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of lari.

The investigation also found that several of those charged supplied smaller quantities than stipulated under government contracts, as well as Easter food products of different brands and lower-quality disinfectants, under state procurement contracts for Tbilisi kindergartens and Batumi free canteens. As a result of these unlawful actions, the state suffered damages totaling 669,497 lari.

In three criminal cases involving the fraudulent acquisition of state-owned land, abuse of official authority, and official misconduct, charges were filed against seven individuals.

These cases concern representatives of the municipalities and city councils of Dmanisi, Gurjaani, and Tsalka, who allegedly abused their official powers at various times and, using forged documentation, fraudulently obtained a total of 91,564 square meters of state-owned land, causing the state losses amounting to 397,804 lari.

In three criminal cases related to bribery, three individuals were arrested.

The investigation established that representatives of the municipalities of Lanchkhuti and Tetritskaro, as well as the Oni Forestry Service, accepted bribes from Georgian and foreign citizens in exchange for facilitating the placement and subsequent protection of mobile commercial facilities ("drive-through" outlets) on state-owned land, allocating state-owned land for beekeeping operations and providing continued protection, as well as promising to illegally authorize the cutting and removal of protected oak trees from forest areas.

In three criminal cases involving the production and distribution of forged official documents and commercial bribery committed by a group, four individuals were arrested.

The investigation found that the suspects accepted bribes in exchange for producing and distributing forged driver's licenses, Georgian passports, and counterfeit bachelor's diplomas issued in the name of a private higher education institution.

As part of the investigation, covert investigative measures were conducted based on court orders, resulting in the collection of audio and video evidence documenting the alleged criminal activities.

The investigation is ongoing under Articles 180, 196, 221, 332, 338, 341, and 362 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The Anti-Corruption Agency continues its work to detect and prevent all forms of corruption. We also emphasize that, within the framework of the fight against corruption, particular attention is being paid to assessing and eliminating corruption risks. Daily efforts are underway to reduce the level of corruption to a minimum," Gagnidze said.