Anti-Corruption Agency arrests Batumi City Hall official over large-scale bribery charges

As a result of investigative and operational activities conducted by officers of the Anti-Corruption Agency under the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), an employee of the Construction Supervision Department at the Batumi City Hall, NNLE Batumi Municipal Inspection, has been arrested on charges of demanding and accepting a large-scale bribe.

According to the agency, the investigation established that the detainee accepted a bribe from a Georgian citizen in exchange for evading a legally mandated fine for an illegally constructed commercial property in Batumi, after which he was apprehended in flagrante delicto as a suspect.

“At the Batumi Municipal Inspection, the detainee’s direct responsibilities included monitoring construction projects across all categories in Batumi, as well as enforcing statutory measures against unauthorised ongoing works and already completed illegal structures.

The investigation is being conducted under Article 338, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of six to nine years of imprisonment,” the statement read.