Georgia’s Finance Ministry Investigation Service arrested T.K., the acting head of the Rural Development Agency’s Project Management and Technical Assistance Department, on August 1, 2025, as a defendant in an ongoing criminal case.

According to the Investigation Service, the defendant was actively engaged in organised criminal activities aimed at personal financial enrichment. Collaborating with a former agency employee, L.D., and other group members, he participated in the illicit distribution of misappropriated funds.

“As part of an ongoing investigation at the Investigation Service, 11 individuals were arrested on July 18, 2025, for fraudulently misappropriating grants totalling GEL 826,815 under the State Co-financing Program for Agricultural Equipment. Among those arrested was one of the organisers – L.D., a former employee of the Legal Entity of Public Law Rural Development Agency.

The investigation determined that between 2021 and 2024, the defendants repeatedly targeted the Rural Development Agency by submitting applications under various beneficiaries’ names to secure grants. They employed fraudulent tactics, including the submission of falsified invoices, delivery receipts, equipment transfer documents, and audit reports to facilitate their scheme.

Based on the submitted fraudulent documents, the agency transferred co-financing funds designated for purchasing agricultural equipment, totalling GEL 826,815, to bank accounts owned by the defendants themselves. To ensure compensation for damages inflicted on the state, significant assets and bank accounts registered in the names of the defendants and their associates have been frozen.

The investigation continues under Articles 210, 180, and 362 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which carry penalties of seven to ten years imprisonment. Investigative activities continue intensively to determine the full extent of damages to the state and expand the circle of perpetrators.

The Georgia Finance Ministry Investigation Service will continue to pursue a strict criminal justice policy against crimes committed in the financial-economic sector,” the Investigation Service said in a statement.