The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance confirms the detention of Irakli Kakulia, the Chairman of Poti City Council and three other persons with him.

According to the Service, their officers detained four persons, including three acting and one former public servant. Former Mayor of Poti Municipality and the current City Council Chairman is among the detainees.

The detainees are charged with providing support for fraudulent misappropriation of large amounts of state property, embezzlement of state property, bribery, abuse of power, negligence, and production and use of fake documents.

As the Investigative Service says, the investigation has established that two contracts were signed by Poti Municipality in 2015 and 2017 on rehabilitation works of the coastal strip in Maltakva district in Poti.

During the works, the directors of the contractor companies used to falsify documents and embezzled state funds. The expertise has revealed that a total of GEL 528 821 was embezzled as a result of the mentioned illegal activities.

The investigation has also revealed that the employees of Poti Municipality did not give a proper response to the violations committed by the contractor companies and signed the documents, confirming the works were implemented appropriately. By this step, they supported the companies for fraudulent misappropriation of large amounts of state property, embezzlement of state property.

Furthermore, one of the detainees, who was the Poti Municipality official, demanded and received bribe of GEL 170 000 in exchange for protection of their illegal activities.

Investigation is in progress under the Articles 180, 182, 338, 332, 332, 342 and 210 of the Criminal Code. The detainees face from 11 to 15 years of imprisonment.