Prosecution Service charges individuals, entities with fraud, illicit income legalisation
“The ‘operators’ assured the customers they would be able to make a solid profit with their help. After obtaining the consent of the customers, the funds allocated by them were placed in bank accounts under the control of the criminal group,” the Prosecution Service said. Photo: video grab
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The Prosecution Service of Georgia has launched criminal proceedings against seven individuals and two legal entities for fraud and legalisation of illicit income, the state body announced on Monday.
The body said its investigation had established the “transnational organised crime group” had fraudulently embezzled large sums of money belonging to citizens of Germany and other countries through a fraudulent “call centre” service.
Callers presenting themselves as employees of the “call centres” would contact their targets, introducing themselves with fictitious names and providing false information about the location of their company, the Service said.
They then offered services related to e-commerce of securities, stocks, commodity assets, currencies and cryptocurrencies using electronic platforms created by the criminal group.
The ‘operators’ assured the customers they would be able to make a solid profit with their help. After obtaining the consent of the customers, the funds allocated by them were placed in bank accounts under the control of the criminal group,” the Prosecution Service said.
The seven individuals face imprisonment between nine to 12 years, while two legal entities face liquidation or restriction of right to operate, in addition to fines.
The state body said a wider investigation also involved criminal proceedings launched against 24 individuals and two legal entities, while extradition proceedings were underway against one person.
Five individuals have been arrested, with wider proceedings launched against a group of 17 persons, by the Prosecutor's Office and interior ministry for extortion of tens of millions of GEL from foreign citizens and money laundering.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has instructed Minister of Finance Lasha Khutsishvili to investigate activities of call centres in the country, following a lawsuit stemming from allegations related to an October case of fraudulent operations set up by a group of Georgian and Israeli citizens in Georgia.
A total of 46 call centres operating in Georgia have suspended their activities while being investigated by the Ministry of Finance for alleged “illegal activities”, Lasha Khutsishvili, the Finance Minister of Georgia, said on Monday.
The Georgian law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with Germany, have arrested seven members of an international criminal group in Georgia which ‘fraudulently embezzled millions of euros from German citizens and laundering of illegal income.’
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has launched criminal proceedings against a criminal group for fraud and money laundering, the state body announced on Tuesday.
The employees of the cybercrime division of the Georgian interior ministry have arrested four and charged eight individuals with fraud, legalisation of illicit income and unauthorised access to the computer system, the ministry announced on Sunday.
The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia on Tuesday said it had launched proceedings against an individual after identifying “illegal entrepreneurial activity”, legalisation of illicit income and tax evasion in the country’s Black Sea region of Adjara.