TBILISI, August 16 – A local government official in northern Georgia has been arrested after allegedly taking a cash bribe in exchange for mining rights.
Investigators say the official, working in Oni municipality, demanded 1,800 lari (about USD 650) from a resident who wanted to extract peat in the area. He was detained on the spot when the money changed hands.
The Finance Ministry’s investigative service announced the arrest, saying it was carried out in cooperation with regional prosecutors. The case is being handled under Georgia’s anti-corruption laws, which carry prison terms of six to nine years for officials caught taking bribes.
Peat is a fairly low-value resource, used mainly for fuel and agriculture, but corruption scandals of this kind are a recurring theme in Georgia, where watchdog groups say bribery and kickbacks still plague parts of the public sector.
Authorities warned they will continue their policy of cracking down on financial and economic crimes.
