Finance Ministry investigators charge one for tax forgery, money laundering

The Investigation Service of Georgia’s Finance Ministry has charged one individual for purchase and sale of illegally acquired property, production and use of forged tax documents and money laundering, the state body announced on Thursday.

The Service said its investigation had found the offender had purchased illegally obtained wood material worth about ₾640,183 ($244,358) in western Georgia's Imereti region.

It also said the individual issued false tax invoices in the name of the company under their management to conceal the illegal origins of a total of 1,163 cubic metres of the material before selling it.

Charges against the arrested person include tax evasion, with the body saying the offender had failed to declare the company's income, resulting in losses of around ₾172,615 ($65,887) for the state budget.

The crime is punishable by imprisonment between nine and 12 years.