The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has brought charges against three individuals in connection with the embezzlement of a large sum of money belonging to the Ministry of Defense, committed by a group with prior agreement and through abuse of official position.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, an investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service revealed that in 2023, the former Deputy Minister of Defense, along with the then-head of the Ministry’s Procurement Department, and with the assistance of a relative of the former Minister, manipulated the procurement process for an MRI machine intended for a military hospital.
Through deliberate actions that eliminated fair competition, they arranged fraudulent deals, which led to a significant increase in the device’s price. While the actual value of the MRI machine was 2,606,272 GEL, it was sold to the Ministry for 3,940,000 GEL, resulting in the embezzlement of 1,333,728 GEL.
The crime is punishable by 7 to 11 years in prison.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated it will petition the court to impose pre-trial detention for the defendants within the timeframe defined by law.
