Georgian State Security Service detains UNM party political council chair for publicly promising bribes to civil servants

The Georgian State Security Service on Thursday detained Levan Khabeishvili, the Chair of the political Council of the opposition United National Movement party, for publicly promising bribes to civil servants.

Emzar Gagnidze, the Director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, said that Khabeishvili was spreading calls in public, on television and on social networks, and was promising bribes to law enforcement officers if employees of the Special Department of the Interior Ministry refused to perform their duties during anti-government rallies as well as if they did not use the special means permitted by law at their disposal.

“Levan Khabeishvili publicly promised to pay $200,000 to anyone who would commit such an act. In addition, Levan Khabeishvili publicly promised to pay a bribe of $200,000 to police officers who would provide various types of information and secret materials related to their official activities. He also promised the said amount as a bribe to the employees of the Special Tasks Department in exchange for refusing to participate in training and exercises. Levan Khabeishvili also publicly stated that he considers the payment of the promised amount to the police officers to be appropriate, since any method should be used to change the Government.
The Service cited Khabeishvili's public statements as evidence, noting he had declared that paying the police was a justified method for changing the Government.
Khabeishvili was detained based on a judge’s ruling under Part 2 of Article 339 of the Georgian Criminal Code.

This offence carries a penalty of four to seven years in prison.