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Megis Kardava Sentenced to 11 Years in Embezzlement Case
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced former Defense Ministry official Megis Kardava to 11 years in prison over the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of GEL 768,107 in state funds, the Prosecutor's Office said on September 22.
The sentence was reduced to five years and six months under Georgia's 2012 Amnesty Law.
The case concerns funds allegedly taken between November 2011 and August 2012, when Kardava headed the Military Police Department. Prosecutors said he requested GEL 330,000 from the Defense Ministry for covert expenses and later appropriated $200,000.
"With the minister's consent, the funds transferred to the Military Police Department's account were withdrawn from one of the banks on Megis Kardava's instructions and converted, after which Megis Kardava illegally appropriated 200,000 US dollars," the Prosecutor's Office said.
Prosecutors said false documents were later prepared to make it appear that the money had been spent by a Military Police unit in Afghanistan on operational activities. The documents were used to write off the funds in the department's accounts, according to the prosecution.
Kardava was arrested in Ukraine in 2017 and extradited to Georgia in 2021. He has previously been convicted in several criminal cases. In 2023, he was sentenced to eight years for embezzling GEL 60,000 from the Defense Ministry.
Kvrivishvili, BAIC Chairman Discuss Potential Electric Vehicle Plant
Georgian Dream Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili met with Fu Jun, chairman of Chinese automaker BAIC International, to discuss the possibility of establishing an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Georgia, the Economy Ministry said.
Kvrivishvili presented a feasibility study commissioned by the Georgian Economic Development Corporation and discussed potential cooperation with BAIC on the project.
The talks also covered the possibility of exporting vehicles made in Georgia to European markets under the country's free trade agreements.
BAIC said it would send a working group to Georgia to continue discussions on potential cooperation. The company also presented its vehicles and outlined its plans for expanding its international operations, according to the ministry.
Deputy Economy Ministers Irakli Nadareishvili, Tamar Ioseliani and Genadi Arveladze attended the meeting.
