Prosecutor says former deputy economy minister Mikautadze gave bribe to ex-security chief Liluashvili
Corruption cases in Georgia
Prosecutor Mariam Berdzenishvili said former deputy economy minister Romeo Mikautadze was supposed to go to the State Security Service and personally hand over the money to its former head, Grigol Liluashvili. She said the money was delivered to Liluashvili’s office. Berdzenishvili told reporters this before a court hearing in the case against Grigol Liluashvili.
According to the prosecutor, Mikautadze, who testified as a witness in the case, told the court that he underwent a security check and other required procedures when he entered the State Security Service (SSS) building. He then went to Liluashvili’s office.
Berdzenishvili said the investigation also has other evidence supporting the accuracy and reliability of the information provided by Mikautadze. In particular, investigators questioned a businessman who, according to the prosecutor, gave the court virtually the same account as Mikautadze.
She said the investigation requested data from the relevant companies covering the period when Mikautadze allegedly handed the money to Liluashvili. Berdzenishvili said an analysis of mobile phone data and internet traffic showed that the two men were in the same place at the same time.
“The prosecution also requested documents relating to the alleged handover of the bribe,” she added.
The prosecutor said the case contains direct evidence supported by other materials, and that there are no objective grounds to question its credibility.
Berdzenishvili said the defence argument that no third parties were present when the money changed hands was not significant to the case. According to her, demands for and payments of bribes generally do not take place in public or in the presence of large numbers of people.
Asked whether Mikautadze went directly to the SSS and handed the money to Liluashvili, Berdzenishvili replied: “Yes. According to the witness, that is what happened.”
The prosecutor said the investigation had also questioned other people who had previously visited Liluashvili. According to their testimony, the procedure for receiving visitors was not always the same.
“The witness also described how he entered the relevant office after undergoing a security check and other procedures. Other people who had previously visited Grigol Liluashvili were also questioned about how they entered the building. Security staff recorded the entry procedure and noted that it did not always involve issuing a pass, a search and so on. In other words, the defendant himself decided how visitors would enter his office,” Berdzenishvili said.
According to her, these circumstances and other factual evidence in the case support the reliability of the information Mikautadze provided to the court.
Berdzenishvili said Mikautadze told the businessmen that the money was being handed over in the interests of the state. According to the prosecutor, one of the businessmen also confirmed this.
“According to the witness, he told the businessmen that this was being done in the interests of the state. One of the businessmen also confirmed this during questioning. They presented the payment as something that served the state’s interests, although this was merely a formal justification. Of course, it was clear to everyone involved that it did not actually serve any state interest,” the prosecutor said.
Berdzenishvili also confirmed that, according to the investigation, Mikautadze brought the money to Liluashvili’s office in a bag.
“Yes, he had the money in his bag. As for his presence in the building, we questioned a security guard who confirmed that he saw Romeo Mikautadze, for example, on the same floor,” she said.
Journalists also asked the prosecutor whether Romeo Mikautadze could face charges, since he was the person who delivered the money to Liluashvili.
According to Berdzenishvili, the involvement of many people in the case is clear. However, authorities cannot classify a person’s actions as a crime until they launch criminal proceedings against that individual.
“I cannot call it a crime in advance until criminal proceedings have been launched against a particular person. I cannot classify a specific action as a crime — even in the case of Grigol Liluashvili. I am speaking based on the standard of reasonable suspicion. In general, if the case confirms that standard, criminal proceedings may be launched,” she said.
As for Mikautadze providing information to investigators, the prosecutor described it as cooperation. She said the defence was wrong to argue that Mikautadze was cooperating with investigators only to receive certain benefits and that such cooperation itself constituted a crime.
The prosecutor also did not rule out bringing criminal charges against Romeo Mikautadze in the future if investigators find sufficient grounds to do so.
“I did not rule that out. I simply described the situation that the defence presents as some kind of special case. I want to stress that the authorities will address the actions of all those involved, the decisions they made and the extent of their cooperation with the investigation within the framework of the law and justice,” Mariam Berdzenishvili said.
Background
Romeo Mikautadze is a former deputy economy minister. The State Security Service arrested him on 21 June 2025. According to the agency, Mikautadze faced charges of abuse of office and laundering millions of lari in illicit proceeds.
The case initially focused on corruption allegations against Mikautadze. In March 2026, a court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Mikautadze also testified as a witness in the case against Grigol Liluashvili. The prosecution considers his testimony one of its key pieces of evidence.
Grigol Liluashvili headed the State Security Service from 2019 until April 2025. He left his post on 2 April 2025.
Liluashvili was arrested on 23 December 2025 after appearing for questioning at the prosecutor’s office. Investigators accuse him of receiving a particularly large bribe as part of a group acting in a prior agreement. According to the case file, the charges involve several episodes, including two linked to Romeo Mikautadze.
The charges against Liluashvili concern receiving a particularly large bribe. The relevant article carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.
Corruption cases in Georgia
