Georgia's former state security chief, Grigol Liluashvili, has been arrested on multiple bribery charges, including allegations that he accepted payments to protect fraudulent international scam call centers operating within the country, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Prosecutors claim Liluashvili, who led the security service from 2020 until April 2025, received approximately $1.4 million in bribes routed through a relative, Sandro Liluashvili, in exchange for shielding these criminal operations from law enforcement.
The arrest follows investigative reports earlier this year that exposed a major call center in Tbilisi, located near security service headquarters, which allegedly defrauded over 6,100 global victims of $35.3 million since 2022. Authorities also allege that Liluashvili and accomplices helped conceal the centers' existence, while opposition media outlets with purported links to the scam groups refrained from reporting on them.
This case is part of a broader government crackdown, which has included asset freezes and raids on the homes of other high-profile figures, including a former prime minister. If convicted, Liluashvili could face up to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors claim Liluashvili, who led the security service from 2020 until April 2025, received approximately $1.4 million in bribes routed through a relative, Sandro Liluashvili, in exchange for shielding these criminal operations from law enforcement.
The arrest follows investigative reports earlier this year that exposed a major call center in Tbilisi, located near security service headquarters, which allegedly defrauded over 6,100 global victims of $35.3 million since 2022. Authorities also allege that Liluashvili and accomplices helped conceal the centers' existence, while opposition media outlets with purported links to the scam groups refrained from reporting on them.
This case is part of a broader government crackdown, which has included asset freezes and raids on the homes of other high-profile figures, including a former prime minister. If convicted, Liluashvili could face up to 15 years in prison.
