The Tbilisi City Court has found Mikheil Saakashvili guilty of embezzling a large amount of budget funds. Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili announced the verdict.

“Mikheil Saakashvili has been found guilty of crimes under Article 182, Part 2, Subparagraph ‘b’ and Part 3, Subparagraph ‘b’ of the Criminal Code and is sentenced to nine years of imprisonment. He is also deprived of the right to hold appointed positions in public service for three years.

Based on Article 59, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, this sentence will absorb the punishment determined by the City Court’s ruling of November 17, 2021, and he will ultimately serve 9 years of imprisonment and be deprived of the right to hold appointed positions in public service for 3 years.

Mikheil Saakashvili’s sentence calculation will begin when this verdict is issued, on March 12, 2025. The period from October 1, 2021, to March 12, 2025, during which he was in custody, will be counted toward his sentence”, - said the judge.

Besides, the Court also found Temur Janashia [former head of the Special State Protection Service], guilty in the same case. As the judge explained, Janashia’s charges were reclassified, and he was fined GEL 300,000.