TBILISI, October 27 – Georgian prosecutors have detained four people and charged another in a series of large-scale fraud investigations involving tourism, real estate, and business schemes that allegedly cost victims millions.
Deputy Tbilisi Prosecutor Shota Tkeshelashvili announced the cases at a briefing Monday, saying the losses so far exceed 3 million lari (around USD 1.1 million), with more suspects and victims expected to be identified.
One of the cases targets Smile Travel Georgia, a tourism company accused of taking advance payments for overseas trips in 2024–2025 and disappearing with the money. Investigators say the company’s representatives collected roughly 1 million lari from nearly 200 clients, promising organized travel packages they never delivered.
Tkheshelashvili said the probe is still expanding to identify additional victims, and the total damages “may significantly increase.”
Another investigation uncovered a separate case of corporate fraud involving the company Zekaris Sources. According to the prosecutor, a suspect convinced the company’s owners to transfer their entire 100 percent stake in exchange for help settling debts, then secretly registered the shares under a family member’s name. The owners reportedly lost 1.5 million lari, while another victim lost 163,000 lari.
A third case involved the use of a fake construction contract, prosecutors said. Victims were persuaded to pay 123,000 lari for building work that was never carried out.
All the suspects face charges under the Criminal Code which carry prison sentences of up to nine years. Courts have ordered them held in pre-trial detention.
Tkeshelashvili noted that the Prosecutor’s Office recently created a specialized division to oversee fraud cases in coordination with the Interior Ministry’s anti-fraud unit. He said combating large-scale scams remains a top priority. “Strict criminal policy will be pursued in such cases to protect the lawful interests of victims,” he told reporters.
