Giorgi Udzilauri, a former spokesman to the founder of Georgia’s ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been picked up by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on charges of spying for a European country. According to the SSSG, Udzilauri – who previously headed up the public relations department of the Cartu Group business conglomerate and, until recently, ran a division within the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance – used his official position and personal connections to systematically gather classified information.
Per the agency, the suspect kept up regular, covert contacts with a foreign intelligence officer. Their meetings were arranged through encrypted communication channels and carried out in a conspiratorial manner. The information he passed along, it is reported, contained “classified intelligence of various kinds, including details on current political and economic processes in Georgia, the situation inside law enforcement and security services, as well as matters pertaining to ethnic and religious minorities.”
The investigation also claims that Udzilauri worked on setting up information platforms to collect additional data, bringing in media representatives to help out. As the State Security Service points out, the suspect’s motive for his activities came down to financial gain.
The criminal case is being investigated under Part 1 of Article 314 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (Espionage), which carries a penalty of eight to twelve years in prison.