Charges Brought Against 13 Individuals in Four Separate Criminal Cases Involving the Fraudulent Acquisition of State-Owned Land
As a result of operational-search measures and investigative actions carried out by employees of the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, charges have been brought against 13 individuals in four separate criminal cases concerning the fraudulent acquisition of state-owned land plots.
The total area of the land plots unlawfully acquired by the accused exceeds 11,929 square meters, with a total value exceeding 1,025,719 GEL.
In the first case, the investigation established that one of the accused, by creating and using forged handover-acceptance acts, unlawfully appropriated two state-owned land plots located in the village of Gldani, Tbilisi. These plots have a combined area of 1,000 square meters and a market value exceeding 116,000 GEL. Furthermore, the investigation—including covert investigative measures—revealed instances where a group, acting by prior agreement, fraudulently acquired state-owned land plots (and provided assistance in such fraud) through the creation and use of forged official documents;
In a separate case, the investigation established that eight defendants, acting as a group, fraudulently registered state-owned land plots located in the village of Gldani, Tbilisi, by submitting forged documents attesting to ownership rights to the National Agency of Public Registry. These plots have a total area of 2,000 square meters and a value of 733,760 GEL. The land plots in question have since been fully alienated (transferred to other owners). In the third criminal case, two individuals intentionally provided false information to the National Agency of Public Registry (a Legal Entity of Public Law) for the purpose of registering land plots. By misleading the registering authority, they fraudulently and unlawfully acquired two state-owned land plots located in the village of Nijgori, Aspindza Municipality—covering a total area of 1,840 square meters with a combined value of 12,912 GEL.
In the fourth criminal case, the investigation established that the accused parties—by intentionally providing false data to the registering authority—fraudulently acquired state-owned land plots located in a municipality within the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. These plots have a total area of 7,089 square meters and a market value of 163,047 GEL. Furthermore, as a result of investigative and procedural actions, attempts by the aforementioned individuals to fraudulently acquire state-owned land plots—totaling 10,321 square meters and located in the same region—were thwarted. The market value of these plots is 150,660 GEL.
The Investigative Service is continuing to take appropriate measures to examine the legality of the registration of other land plots and to identify any other individuals who may have been involved in the crime.
The investigation is being conducted under Article 180, Part 3, and Article 362 of the Criminal Code of Georgia—which carry a penalty of 6 to 9 years of imprisonment—as well as under Article 180, Part 2, which also carries a penalty of 6 to 9 years of imprisonment.