Georgian security forces reported the arrest of the former deputy head of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The home of former Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Irakli Karseladze was searched. His former deputy, Koba Gabunia, was also detained.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was charged with money laundering. During a search of Garibashvili's home, $6.5 million was found, the Prosecutor General stated, and demanded that the former official be released on bail in the amount equivalent to $369,000.

Former Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Koba Gabunia has been detained in Georgia on charges of abuse of office, Ia Akhalaia, Deputy Head of the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance, announced at a press conference on October 30.

"Employees of the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance, together with representatives of the State Security Service, detained former Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Koba Gabunia, who oversaw the State Fund for Municipal Development of Georgia," Akhalaia stated.

She also reported that searches were conducted at the homes of Koba Gabunia, former Minister Irakli Karseladze, and others—a total of 20 different locations. Previously, former Executive Director of the Municipal Development Fund David Tabidze, a program manager, and a project manager for the same fund were detained. All of them, as noted in the statement, cooperated with the investigation and were released on bail, the Sova publication reports.

The case is related to the fraudulent appropriation of budget funds allocated for the reconstruction of 30 kindergartens from July 2023 to May 2024 – 9,365,801 lari (approximately $3.5 million), as well as the laundering of illegal income in the amount of 1,211,000 lari (approximately $450,000). The investigation also covers the activities of the company "Lagi Capital", 50% of which until September 2023 belonged to the brother-in-law of parliament member Irakli Zarkua, the Georgian Public Broadcaster news channel reports.

Karseladze served as Minister of Infrastructure from February 22, 2021 to April 24, 2025; From 2018 to 2021, he served as First Deputy Minister and headed the Department of Roads.

The investigation is being conducted under Articles 332 (abuse of office), 180 (fraud), 194 (money laundering), and 362 (forgery) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carry a prison sentence of 9 to 12 years.