პარტია „გახარია საქართველოსთვის“ ერთ-ერთი ლიდერი ბექა ლილუაშვილი პოლიტიკიდან მიდის. როგორც ის სოციალურ ქსელში წერს,

Introduction: The recent arrest of Georgia's former State Security Service head, Grigol Liluashvili, on bribery charges for protecting international scam call centers is a stark case study in institutional capture. This incident transcends a simple corruption story, revealing how cybercriminal enterprises actively seek to compromise the very regulatory and law enforcement bodies designed to stop them. For cybersecurity professionals, it underscores the critical threat of insider risk at the highest levels and the blurred lines between physical security governance and digital crime facilitation.

В Грузии еще недавно неприкасаемый глава Службы госбезопасности арестован за покровительство мошенникам — скамерам, обманувших тысячи жителей Европы на десятки миллионов долларов. Григол Лилуашвили проработал в правительстве «Грузинской мечты» около десяти лет и подал в отставку только в апреле этого года. Все это время он пользовался исключительным доверием миллиардера Бидзины Иванишвили. Теперь же экс-главе спецслужбы грозит от 11 до 15 лет тюрьмы по обвинению во взяточничестве в особо крупных размерах. Попал под уголовное преследование и бывший премьер-министр Ираклий Гарибашвили. В оппозиции считают, что громкие аресты в руководстве «Грузинской мечты» свидетельствуют вовсе не о борьбе с коррупцией, а о «войне кланов», возникшей из-за подозрительности Иванишвили и дефицита «черного нала».

Liluashvili’s detention was preceded by a series of criminal prosecutions, including former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.

Former head of Georgia’s State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili has been arrested on bribery charges involving multiple alleged schemes, including those related to Georgia’s infamous scam call centers. He faces 11 to 15 years in prison. The arrest follows a broader series of prosecutions targeting former Georgian Dream officials, particularly targeting figures linked to Liluashvili and former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is currently free on bail while facing trial on serious money-laundering charges. Liluashvili, who led SSSG since 2019 before his resignation in April 2025, has been charged under Article 338, Parts 2 and 3 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which cover taking a bribe “on a particularly large scale” by a prearranged group. According to Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze, who announced the arrest during a December 23 press briefing, the first instance of bribery occurred in October 2022, when Liluashvili allegedly received USD1 million from Turkish investor Cagatay Ulker. The transaction was mediated by Romeo Mikautadze, who was the first deputy economy minister at the time and is currently in jail on corruption charges. “The purpose of the payment was to secure lobbying support for the signing of a memorandum of cooperation related to the construction of wind power plants,” Gvarakidze said. A second episode occurred in February 2022, the general prosecutor said, when Liluashvili, again through Mikautadze, “demanded and received 1.5 million GEL (USD 558,893)” from businessman Giorgi Khazhalia, founder of Expressservice 2008, in exchange for assistance in gasification tenders. A third set of allegations concerns activities between 2021 and 2023 linked to scam call centers. Gvarakidze said, “a smaller portion of the call centers was primarily protected by Grigol Liluashvili,” adding that the alleged protection was carried out through his relative, Sandro Liluashvili. “As a result of the aforementioned criminal activity, Grigol Liluashvili received approximately 1,365,000 USD in bribes through the mediation of Sandro Liluashvili,” the prosecutor general said. Gvarakidze further claimed that many of the call centers were owned by individuals who used the proceeds “to finance various opposition media outlets.” Investigators are examining what he described as a scheme in which Liluashvili and accomplices allegedly ensured that “the existence of scam call centers financing opposition media outlets was not exposed.” In return, he said, those outlets “refrained from covering information about the fraudulent call centers operating under Liluashvili’s protection, despite having knowledge of this information.” A fourth episode involves allegations that Liluashvili abused his official position to protect a close associate, Kakhaber Gvantseladze, the former head of Tbilisi City Hall’s Agency for the Management of Preschool Institutions. “By abusing his official position and in exchange for receiving bribes, Grigol Liluashvili provided protection to his friend,” Gvarakidze said, alleging that Gvantseladze received large kickbacks from businesses connected to procurement contracts for kindergartens. “Within the aforementioned criminal scheme involving Liluashvili and Gvantseladze, Kakhaber Gvantseladze had also involved employees of the Agency responsible for financial accounting and settlements, as well as monitoring staff. Decisions have been issued against all of them to bring criminal charges as defendants,” Gvarakidze added. Broader Crackdown Liluashvili’s arrest comes amid Georgia Dream’s declared anti-corruption drive, which also targeted the close circle of ex-SSSG chief, including the arrest of his associates Andria Liluashvili and Koba Khundadze on money-laundering charges in October. More recently, prosecutors said Bichiko Paikidze, a businessman and former ruling party municipal councilor also linked to Liluashvili, was arrested in Barcelona after being placed on an international wanted list. Critics, however, have questioned the sincerity of the GD’s anti-corruption efforts, seeing it rather as part of internal retributions and power struggles targeting Liluashvili and Garibashvili. Also Read: * 30/10/2025 – TI-Georgia: Elite Corruption ‘Remains Widespread’ Despite GD’s Crackdown on Ex-Officials * 22/10/2025 – SSSG: Former PM Irakli Garibashvili Admitted Receiving Illicit Income * 23/07/2025 – Georgian Dream Resignation Streak: Who Left and Why * 14/07/2025 – Georgian Dream’s Ex-Officials and Business Associates in Hot Water

Former head of Georgia’s State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili has been arrested on bribery char

Why has Georgia’s informal ruler, Bidzina Ivanishvili, taken such a risk at a time when the country is already in the midst of a severe political crisis?

The Prosecutor’s Office said Andria Liluashvili, an associate of former State Security Service chief Grigol Liluashvili, has been arrested on charges of laundering a particularly large amount of money, a day after the Office announced the arrest of another Liluashvili associate, Koba Khundadze. Both arrests come amid a widening investigation targeting former senior officials and their associates. The two face nine to 12 years in prison if convicted. The Prosecutor’s Office’s Beka Kvitsiani said during an October 23 briefing that authorities are “intensively continuing the investigation into persons who may have had criminal connections with Andria Liluashvili.” The ongoing probe also covers potential breach of Article 339 prima of the Criminal Code, which addresses influence peddling (trading in influence). “The investigation is also continuing for the purpose of identifying other persons involved in organized criminal activity and conducting appropriate legal procedures,” Kvitsiani concluded. The arrest is part of a broader investigation launched after authorities searched the homes of former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Grigol Liluashvili, former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, and eight of their associates on October 17, seizing millions of dollars in cash and valuables. On October 22, the Prosecutor’s Office announced the detention of another associate of Grigol Liluashvili, Koba Khundadze, on similar money-laundering charges. The office said authorities seized USD 1.3 million in cash, stored in 94 envelopes, from Khundadze’s residence. Late on the same day, the State Security Service said that ex-PM Irakli Garibashvili had been questioned, “fully cooperated with the investigation,” and “admitted to the fact of receiving illicit income throughout the years.” The SSSG official added that the decision on charges and pretrial measures will be announced in the coming days. The ongoing investigation follows a wave of resignations, prosecutions, and arrests involving former Georgian Dream officials and business allies. While authorities have justified the crackdown as part of anti-corruption efforts, critics have characterized it as an internal purge and an act of personal retribution by Georgian Dream patron and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. Also Read: * 14/07/2025 – Georgian Dream’s Ex-Officials and Business Associates in Hot Water

The Prosecutor’s Office said Andria Liluashvili, an associate of former State Security Service chief