Ministry of Environment official, others detained for bribery

Head of the Kakheti regional unit of the Environmental Supervision Department under the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture Zakaria Kinkladze has been arrested by the State Security Service Anti Corruption Agency for bribery today.

Another four have been detained for offering a bribe. 

Detainees, Gocha P. and Giorgi A. are the founders of LTD Gremi while Ramaz L. is the founder and director of LTD Kistauri. The fourth detainee is Vazha P.

Investigators said that the two founders of Gremi and Vazha P. intended to illegally cut trees and offered a bribe amounting 3,000 USD to Zakaria Kinkladze who had accepted it.

On the other hand, Ramaz L. also wanted to illegally cut trees in the forest of Orvila village, Akhmeta and offered the local official a 10,000 GEL bribe monthly while he paid 8,000 GEL in advance.

The Anti Corruption Agency seized 3,000 USD and 8,000 GEL as evidence.

The detainees who have offered a bribe are facing four to seven years imprisonment while bribe taking is punishable by six to nine years.