TBILISI, November 2 – The lawyer for Georgia’s former deputy minister of regional development and infrastructure, Koba Gabunia, has accused prosecutors of relying on witness statements allegedly made in exchange for freedom.
Gabunia was arrested earlier this week on charges of abuse of power connected to a public infrastructure fund.
In comments to Georgian media on Saturday, defense attorney Gocha Kvirikashvili said the case against his client rests on “rumors and testimonies” from individuals who were previously detained but later released. He claimed those witnesses gave statements suggesting Gabunia had issued improper orders about advance payments from the Municipal Development Fund, but that no actual evidence of such instructions exists in the case file.
“Witnesses who gained their freedom said things that were later used to justify my client’s detention,” Kvirikashvili said. He argued that the prosecution has failed to demonstrate what motive would have driven Gabunia to commit any crime. “If there is no established motive, it is absurd to discuss pretrial detention,” he added.
The lawyer said Gabunia acted strictly within his official authority and that prosecutors were trying to shift blame onto others involved in the case. “They want to transfer responsibility, but such actions never took place. My client performed his duties properly,” Kvirikashvili said.
Gabunia was arrested in a joint operation by the Ministry of Finance’s Investigation Service and the State Security Service. Prosecutors allege that, as deputy minister overseeing the Municipal Development Fund, he authorized unjustified advance payments to a private company, Lagi Capital, which was contracted for kindergarten renovation projects.
According to investigators, more than USD 9 million from those projects was misappropriated between 2023 and 2024. Several fund officials and company executives have already been charged, though most were released on bail after cooperating with the investigation.
