TBILISI, July 24 – Georgia’s State Security Service says it has arrested one person in Tbilisi for allegedly trying to fraudulently sell land worth several million dollars using a fake official document.
The arrest was announced on Friday, and reported by Interpressnews. According to the State Security Service, officers from its Anti-Corruption Agency detained the suspect in connection with large-scale fraud and the use of a forged official document.
Investigators say the case involves real estate in Tskneti, a settlement near Tbilisi. The property is described as a land plot of more than 18,000 square meters, worth several million U.S. dollars.
According to the agency, the suspect allegedly tried to sell the land, which belonged to someone else, by using a fake power of attorney made in a foreign country.
The State Security Service said the suspect went to the National Agency of Public Registry, part of Georgia’s Justice Ministry, on July 24 to carry out the transaction. Investigators say the suspect had already reached a preliminary agreement with a buyer to sell the property for USD 1.2 million, far below its stated value.
Anti-Corruption Agency officers detained the suspect during the attempted transaction, the agency said.
The investigation is being carried out under an article of the criminal code about large-scale fraud and the use of a forged official document. If convicted, the suspect could face six to nine years in prison.
