A court in Georgia has sentenced former president Mikheil Saakashvili to nine years in prison for embezzling more than $3.2 million in budget funds, Georgian media reported on Wednesday.
The period of imprisonment from October, 1 2021 will be counted in the sentence. In addition, the former Georgian president was banned from holding public office for three years.
Along with Saakashvili, the court also found the head of the state security service Teimuraz Janashia guilty and fined him 300 thousand GEL ($108 thousand).
The former Georgian president ironically described the Tbilisi court verdict as a surprise. He wrote on social media:
“What a surprise the oligarch’s verdict was, right? I was sentenced practically to life imprisonment for official expenses of the presidential administration… We will not be intimidated! Strength in unity.”
“Jacket case”
The former head of Georgia was found guilty under the article on misappropriation or embezzlement, committed repeatedly on a large scale. The charges were brought against him back in 2014.
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, Saakashvili, while being president, spent budget funds to serve his personal needs and his family, including hotels where foreign guests were accommodated, renting a yacht and cars, paying for his son’s education, masseuse services, Botox and waxing procedures, etc.
The ex-president spent $174 thousand on a chef from Spain and a personal stylist, Saakashvili’s weight loss procedure cost $113 thousand, and another $290 thousand was spent on renting aeroplanes. The former head of Georgia used state funds to buy seven jackets and one cashmere coat in the UK for $30 thousand, two business suits for about $5 thousand, and more than $30 thousand for 10 wristwatches bought in the US, UK and Georgia.
Saakashvili also bought a painting of model, actress and artist Meredith Ostrom painting breasts in London for more than $9 thousand.
To prevent the public from learning about these expenditures, they were classified as “secret” under the supervision of the former head of the Special State Guard Service Janashia.
Saakashvili called the accusations unfounded and said that “the money that the prosecutor’s office accused him of embezzling was spent in the interests of the country.”
