Court Sentences Former Security Chief Liluashvili to 13 Years
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Former Georgian State Security Service chief Grigol Liluashvili has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after Tbilisi City Court found him guilty in four corruption-related cases.
Judge Nino Tarashvili delivered the verdict, finding Liluashvili guilty on all four counts.
The cases involved two alleged bribery schemes, the protection of part of a fraudulent call-center network and the alleged protection of Kakhaber Gvantseladze, the former head of Tbilisi City Hall's Agency for the Management of Preschool Institutions.
In the first bribery case, prosecutors said Liluashvili received $1 million in 2022 from Turkish investor Cagatay Ulker through former First Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze. The money was allegedly paid in exchange for assistance with a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of wind power plants.
In a second case from 2022, prosecutors alleged that Liluashvili received 1.5 million Georgian lari from businessman Giorgi Khazhalia through Mikautadze in return for assistance related to gasification tenders.
The third case concerned fraudulent call centers that prosecutors said operated between 2021 and 2023. Liluashvili was accused of protecting part of the network and receiving about $1.365 million in bribes through his relative, Sandro Liluashvili.
The fourth case involved Gvantseladze. Prosecutors alleged that Liluashvili protected him while he was receiving kickbacks from businesses connected to procurement contracts for kindergartens.
Liluashvili denied all the charges. His lawyer, Lana Tsertsvadze, has repeatedly argued during the trial that the prosecution had failed to present evidence directly linking her client to the alleged crimes.
Tsertsvadze said the defense had expected an acquittal because, in its view, there was no evidence proving Liluashvili's guilt.
"The defense expected an acquittal, and this expectation was based solely on the fact that there is, in reality, no evidence in the case proving that Mr. Grigol Liluashvili committed the alleged crime," Tsertsvadze said after the verdict.
She said the defense would appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals.
"I expect that Mr. Grigol Liluashvili will not spend 13 years in prison, and I hope that the Court of Appeals will at least preserve the integrity of the judiciary," Tsertsvadze said.
The lawyer accused the first-instance court of failing to base its decision on evidence and urged the appeals court to act according to the law.
"I am appealing only to the court to act in accordance with the law and to fulfill the sole mission entrusted to the judiciary, to make decisions based only on evidence," she said.
Tsertsvadze had also challenged the prosecution's evidence during the trial. In August, she disputed Mikautadze's account that he had delivered money to Liluashvili at the State Security Service, saying there was no telephone record or security-camera evidence showing that Mikautadze had entered the building.
The defense also challenged testimony concerning the call-center case. Tsertsvadze said witnesses questioned by the defense had stated that they had no protection from Liluashvili and argued that the testimony of a key prosecution witness should not be relied upon.
Prosecutor Mariam Berdzenishvili said she expected the defense to appeal the verdict.
"I expect the defense to appeal the verdict announced today. That is their right," Berdzenishvili said.
She rejected claims that Liluashvili's rights had been restricted during the proceedings.
"The right to a fair trial was unequivocally and fully guaranteed in this criminal case," Berdzenishvili said. "The defense was able to make use of every available legal mechanism. They were not restricted in any way at any stage."
Berdzenishvili also defended the prosecution's evidence, saying the case included a large number of witnesses whose accounts were consistent with each other and with other evidence presented to the court.
She said Mikautadze was not the key witness in all four episodes and noted that he had no information about two of the cases.
"The case was notable for the large number of witnesses," Berdzenishvili said. "These witnesses provided the court with information that was consistent with one another and also consistent with other evidence contained in the case."
Mikautadze was among the witnesses who testified against Liluashvili.
Asked whether prosecutors expected Liluashvili to seek a plea agreement, Berdzenishvili said it remained possible.
"If he expresses a desire to enter into a plea agreement, and if there is an admission of guilt, naturally, we will consider it accordingly," she said. "You can always expect anything; nothing can be ruled out."
Liluashvili headed the State Security Service from 2019 until he stepped down on April 2, 2025.
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze subsequently nominated him to head the newly created Ministry of Regional Development. Two days later, Kobakhidze said the nomination had been withdrawn after consultations with Liluashvili revealed "different approaches" concerning the ministry's operating principles, including its personnel policy.
Liluashvili was arrested on December 23, 2025, after appearing for questioning at the Prosecutor's Office.
He was charged under Article 338 of Georgia's Criminal Code with accepting particularly large bribes as part of a group acting by prior agreement. The offense carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.
The defense is expected to appeal the conviction and 13-year sentence before the Court of Appeals.
