Former Head of Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) Grigol Liluashvili was arrested on December 23. He is accused in four separate cases of accepting large-scale bribes, charges that carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. His arrest comes after a brief political episode in which the ruling party initially nominated him as a candidate to lead the Ministry of Regional Development, but withdrew the decision within a day due to “disagreements on certain issues.”
BMG reviewed Liluashvili’s most recent asset declaration, which contrasts sharply with the scale of bribe-taking alleged by investigators. According to the declaration filed in April 2025, Liluashvili owns no real estate or vehicles in his name. A Toyota RAV4, purchased in 2021 for USD 10,500, is registered to his wife. At the time of filing, the former official reported USD 75,000 and EUR 8,500 in his bank accounts. His annual salary as SSSG chief in 2024 amounted to 141,274 GEL.
Liluashvili’s career includes multiple high-ranking positions in government and business. He served as SSSG chief from 2019 to 2025, previously holding posts as First Deputy and Deputy Head of the agency. Before that, he was a majoritarian MP and chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Policy. His earlier roles include serving as Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, senior executive positions in the Cartu Group and other private companies, and work within Georgia’s customs system.
Notably, in October, the SSSG searched the homes of Liluashvili, former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and others. At the time, no charges had been filed, but investigators seized USD 7 million and 136,000 GEL. The new allegations link Liluashvili to multimillion-dollar bribery schemes involving energy projects, gasification tenders, fraudulent call centers, and kickbacks related to Tbilisi’s kindergarten procurement system.
