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Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of Tbilisi City Hall’s supervision service was Friday placed in to pre-trial detention on charges of bribery.

During the court hearing, Prosecutor Malkhaz Getsadze said that the accused, Jokia Bodokia, accepted a bribe from Darioushi, a company planning to build a hotel on Tabukashvili Avenue in Tbilisi.

Investigators claim that Bodokia promised the company to help with getting construction permit and provide other forms of support if necessary. The value of the deal was USD 180,000, out of which Bodokia received USD 50,000 in advance.

The Prosecutor General’s Office claims to have video footage that supports the charges.

Bodokia’s lawyer asked the court to release his client on a 10,000 lari (USD 5,000) bail, but the judge did not agree.

The Prosecutor General’s Office warned of threats that the accused could commit more crime, run away or interrupt the investigation. One of the arguments the prosecutor brought to bear was that Bodokia was convicted of drug-related crime in 2010 and served one year in jail, but the sentence was later nullified.

The prosecutor said the head of Darioushi Ltd, Natia Makharashvili, cooperated with the investigation and provided information about Bodokia. The latter avoided commenting to the media, but his lawyer earlier said that his client pleaded not guilty.