As a result of operative-searching and investigative activities carried out by the representatives of Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, in coordination with the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti District Prosecutor's Office, three members of an organized group were detained on the fact of large amount of property damage by deceit. 

Investigation determined that in order to conceal the crime, the accused registered companies in the names of individuals living in the occupied territory of Abkhazia and by manufacturing and using forged tax documents, they attributed with each other iron structures and scrap metal worth GEL 151 mln and in that manner created a fictitious VAT asset - in the total amount of GEL 20 336 923.

One of the companies owned by the accused charged VAT in the amount of GEL 563 353, which was used entirely to cover current tax liabilities.

Appropriate procedures are being carried out in order to determine the full amount of damage caused to the state budget and to expose other perpetrators of the crime.

Investigation is underway under the Article 185, part 3, sub-paragraphs “a” and “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which as a type and extent of sentence, envisage imprisonment from four to six years, and under the Article 210, part 2, sub-paragraph “a”, which shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of four to seven years.

Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia will continue to implement a strict criminal justice policy against crimes and corruption committed in the financial-economic sphere.