The Finance Ministry’s Investigation Service reported on November 8 that Irakli Kakulia, chairman of the Poti City Council (Sakrebulo), as well as the former Mayor of Poti Municipality and two incumbent public officials have been arrested on a number of charges.
According to the same report, the four men have been charged with misappropriation of large amount of state property, embezzlement of state property, taking especially large amount of bribe, abuse of official powers, negligence and falsification of documents.
The Investigations Service explained that two contracts were signed by the Poti Municipality in 2015 and 2017 on carrying out rehabilitation works in the Poti coastal line. It also said that the contractor companies reported increased amounts in the documents on fulfilled work, thus misappropriating budgetary funds, totaling GEL 528,821.
The Investigations Service also noted that the Poti Municipality neglected the violations by the contractor companies and in exchange for its patronage, top official from the Poti Municipality even demanded a bribe at GEL 170,000 from the company.
The investigation has been launched under articles 180, 182, 338, 332, 342 and 210 of the criminal code of Georgia that is punished by imprisonment from 11 to 15 years.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)