Former Deputy Economy Minister Charged with Abuse of Power and Money Laundering
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, June 23, 2025
The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has formally charged former First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Romeo Mikautadze with abuse of official authority and the legalization of illegal income. The charges follow an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service.
According to a statement released by the Prosecutor's Office, Mikautadze is accused of systematically abusing his official position between 2017 and 2024 to generate large-scale illicit income. The investigation alleges that in 2021, while serving as Deputy Minister, Mikautadze used his influence to facilitate the sale of a company he had previously founded for USD 4.4 million. In return, he reportedly received a personal payment of USD 400,000 from the purchasing company.
To conceal the origins of this income, authorities say Mikautadze and his family undertook multiple efforts to launder the funds. In 2023, EUR 599,955 was transferred from the Bank of Georgia to purchase an apartment in Madrid, Spain. The money was deposited into the account of Mikautadze's wife in cash.
Prosecutors claim that since the couple could not justify the legal origin of the funds, they conspired with others to forge a sales agreement that falsely claimed the property had been sold to a retired woman, the mother of a family friend. "In reality, the family had not sold the property, and the sole purpose of the contract was to conceal the source of the money transferred to Spain," the statement said.
Additionally, the Prosecutor's Office alleges that Mikautadze used further illicit funds to purchase two luxury vehicles - a Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG and a Land Rover Range Rover - in 2023. These were registered under the names of close associates.
In total, investigators estimate that Mikautadze laundered GEL 2,556,192 through these activities. He was arrested on June 20 and charged under Article 332, Part 2, and Article 194, Part 3, Subparagraph "g" of the Criminal Code of Georgia. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison.
The Prosecutor's Office has announced its intention to request pre-trial detention. The investigation remains ongoing.
Mikautadze denies all charges.
Speaking to journalists, his lawyer Beka Nemsitsveridze said the accusations are politically motivated and baseless. "He does not plead guilty, because he did not commit the act he is accused of. He is fully prepared to verify and justify all of his assets, down to the last tetri," said Nemsitsveridze.
The lawyer claimed that the authorities arrested Mikautadze without giving him a chance to testify. "He had already expressed his willingness to do so, but unfortunately, the investigative body was not interested in hearing his testimony," he said. "We believe the authorities were afraid that his testimony and the documents he could present would dismantle this absurd accusation."
Nemsitsveridze also addressed concerns over the registration of assets under the names of third parties. "Some of the family property is jointly owned, but as a public official, he could not register this property in his name. There is nothing criminal about that," he stated.
Asked whether Mikautadze will speak in court, the lawyer replied, "Mikautadze is not staying silent - no one has even asked him anything yet."
As for whether other senior officials, such as Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili, have been questioned, Nemsitsveridze said, "I received the case files only five minutes ago. I don't know yet who has been questioned and who hasn't. Once I review the materials, I'll be able to answer your questions in detail."
