State Security Service highlights anti-corruption activities in 2022 report
The State Security Service of Georgia said its anti-corruption body brought 170 people to justice in 61 criminal inquiries in 2022. Photo: State Security Service
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The State Security Service of Georgia on Thursday said its anti-corruption body brought 170 people to justice in 61 criminal inquiries in 2022, with the cases including bribery, illegal possession of real estate, and abuse of official authority.
It particularly noted cases of illegal possession of state property, noting 188 units of real estate and 20 units of personal property worth ₾4,008,820 ($1,542,059) were seized throughout 2022.
Court proceedings in 2022 involved seven criminal cases and ruled on returning 28,659 square metres of land worth ₾360,579 ($138,702) to the state.
The Service also noted Georgia moved from 45th to 41st place among 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International last year, highlighting the new position ranked it alongside countries like the Czech Republic, Italy and Slovenia.
It also said the ranking placed the country ahead of EU member states including Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Croatia and Romania, while also placing it at the top in the Eastern European region and ahead of Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine - candidate countries aspiring to join the European Union.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday met Razhden Kuprashvili, the new Chair of the country’s recently established Anti-Corruption Bureau, who was selected for the position by the Government head from candidates shortlisted by a selection commission on Monday.
Revaz Javelidze, the Head of Georgian Government Administration, was on Thursday elected as Chair of the commission tasked with selecting the head of the recently set up Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday initiated a bill proposing the creation of an anti-corruption bureau, as part of efforts to fulfil the European Union’s conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO has published a new report on how Georgia has complied with GRECO’s 16 recommendations on preventing corruption among MPs, judges and prosecutors provided to the Georgian authorities back in January 2017.
The Georgian State Security Service hosted a two-day seminar for employees of the country’s Public Defender’s Office on the topic of national security.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday congratulated employees of the State Security Service on their professional day and noted their “high professionalism and patriotism” as being of “utmost importance”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday expressed his belief the Government would succeed in achieving a “peaceful deoccupation” of its Russian-occupied territories and reunification as a result of “correct, pragmatic and results-oriented” policies.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said his Government's “main objective” was to serve the interests of country “rather than other states”, in comments at an event dedicated to the eighth anniversary of the establishment of the State Security Service.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the “selfless work” of the employees of the State Security Service for the protection of the national interests of the country was “inestimable”.
The Georgian State Security Service on Friday said units involving 150 professionals from various state agencies of the country had received “high evaluation” in an exercise organised by the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency for coordinated, inter-agency work against chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear threats in various crisis situations.
Revaz Javelidze, the Head of the Government Administration, on Monday highlighted Georgia’s selection in 11th place in Europe in corruption control in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, and credited the outcome with “correct and effective” Government reforms.
Georgian Deputy Finance Minister Mikheil Dundua on Monday said Georgia’s ranking in the latest Global Competitiveness Report, which placed the country in 11th place in Europe in corruption control, proved the country was “developing in the right direction”.
Georgia continues to fulfil visa liberalisation benchmarks and has taken action to address the European Commission’s previous recommendations, the sixth report of the Commission on the fulfilment of visa-free obligations by Eastern Partnership countries and the Balkan states said on Thursday.
The Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Grigol Liluashvili and Razhden Kuprashvili, the Chair of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, on Saturday discussed bilateral cooperation.
Paweł Herczyński, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said the European Commission’s “historic” recommendation, last month, to grant the country the EU membership candidate status was an “acknowledgement” of Georgia’s progress in the fight against corruption.