As a result of the operative-searching and investigative activities the employees of the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia brought to criminal liability 2 business entities and their accountants on the fact of fraudulent misappropriation of a large amount of state funds by an organized group through the production and use of forged documents.

The investigation determined that in order to fraudulently obtain the monetary assistance provided for citizens on maternity leave, in 2020-2022, the accused persons, according to a premeditated scheme, entered into criminal agreement with pregnant women, fictitiously signed them in the enterprises under their control, after which forged documents were prepared. The documents were used to mislead the LEPL Social Service Agency and from the state budget, 82 persons allegedly employed in the enterprises received one-time cash assistance for pregnant women in the total amount of GEL 82 000 which was subsequently distributed among themselves.

Appropriate measures are being taken to identify other criminal activities related to the misappropriation of maternity leave funds and to expose the criminals.

The investigation is underway under the Articles 362, 210 and 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisages imprisonment from 7 to 10 years.