The Tbilisi City Court has found former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, guilty of embezzling a significant amount of state funds. As a result, he has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for this offense.

The court also convicted Temur Janashia, the former head of the Special State Protection Service, in connection with the same case. However, Janashia’s charges were reclassified, and he was imposed a fine of GEL 300,000.

Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili, who announced the guilty verdict, clarified that the hearing could not be postponed due to Saakashvili's absence, as Georgian law does not allow for such delays.

Saakashvili was found guilty of crimes under Article 182, Part 2, Subparagraph ‘b’, and Part 3, Subparagraph ‘b’ of the Criminal Code, and has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Additionally, he has been barred from holding appointed public service positions for three years. The sentence also includes the absorption of a previous ruling from November 17, 2021, which means Saakashvili will ultimately serve a total of nine years in prison, starting from March 12, 2025. The time he spent in custody from October 1, 2021, to March 12, 2025, will count toward his sentence.

Judge Kochlamazashvili also explained the decision to reclassify the charges against Teimuraz Janashia. Janashia's actions, initially classified under more severe charges, were downgraded to a lesser offense under Article 332, Part 1 of the Criminal Code. As a result, Janashia has been fined GEL 300,000 and is also barred from holding public service positions for three years. The verdict takes effect immediately, and both convicts have the right to appeal for a pardon from the President of Georgia.

The investigation revealed that Mikheil Saakashvili and Temur Janashia misappropriated approximately GEL 9 million in state funds for personal use. The prosecutor’s office stated that between May 1, 2009, and February 25, 2013, Saakashvili, along with Janashia, misused state funds by secretly allocating money from the President’s reserve fund to the Special State Protection Service, which Janashia oversaw. The funds, totaling GEL 9,024,367.34, were used for Saakashvili’s personal purposes, and the expenses were authorized under false pretenses using secret documents.

Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested by the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on October 1, 2021, on charges of illegally crossing the border.