Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is accused of embezzling more than 5 million US dollars from budget

In Georgia, former President Mikhail Saakashvili is charged with embezzlement of budget funds amounting to more than 8.8 million laris (more than 5 million US dollars), the Georgian General Prosecutor's Office reports.

According to the prosecutors, the former President spent "considerable amounts" for his family members and personal service through the fund of the Special State Protection Service of Georgia, the "Interfax" reports. In particular, the budget money was spent to rent a yacht in Italy, pay for services of masseuse and cook and for hotels, where guests from abroad stayed, etc., the RIA "Novosti" reports.

In the criminal case, the former President faces 7-11 years of imprisonment, the "News-Georgia" reports.

This is the third criminal case instituted against Mikhail Saakashvili. The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 29, the General Prosecutor's Office charged him in absentia of abuse of office in the cases on the dispersal of the opposition rally in November 2007, the pogrom at the office of the "Imedi" TV Channel and the seizure of property from milti-millionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili. On August 2, the court arrested Mikhail Saakashvili in absentia.

On August 5, the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia announced the new charge against Mikhail Saakashvili on the fact of beating MP Valery Gelashvili. Mikhail Saakashvili himself stated that he treated the criminal proceedings against him as politically motivated.