3 arrested for misappropriation of state funds using forged documents

 The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia has arrested three individuals and charged one for misappropriation of “large amounts of money” belonging to the state by use of forged official documents, the state body said on Wednesday.

In its statement, the Service said its investigation had found the offenders had received ₾1,049,230 ($387,469) in funding from the Rural Development Agency of Georgia’s Agriculture Ministry within the Plant the Future project for purchasing apple and almond seedlings. 

The individuals transferred the amount, as well as ₾700,758 ($258,782) in their co-financing, to a company owned by them and responsible for importing the seedlings, setting up a borehole, drip irrigation system and yards on land plots.

Instead of using the funds for the works, the company head and their two employees imported almond seedlings worth ₾617,205 ($227,927) and “illegally appropriated” the remaining ₾1,132,783 ($418,325), the body said.

In addition, the alleged offenders produced forged audit reports on setting up of a borehole and submitted the document to the Agency for confirmation of the purposeful use of the received funds.

The crimes are punishable by seven to 11 years in prison.