Georgia - CorruptionGeorgia - Corruption
Articles 332-342 of the Criminal Code criminalize bribery. Senior public officials must file financial disclosure forms which are posted online, and Georgian legislation provides for civil forfeiture of the undocumented assets of public officials who are charged with corruption offenses. Penalties for accepting a bribe start at six years in prison and can extend up to 15 years depending on the case's circumstances. Penalties for giving a bribe can include a fine, a minimum prison sentence of two years, or both. In aggravated circumstances, when a bribe is given to commit an illegal act, the penalty can be from four to seven years. Abuse of authority and exceeding authority by public servants are criminal acts under Articles 332 and 333 of the criminal code and carry a maximum penalty of eight years imprisonment. The definition of a public official includes foreign public officials and employees of international organizations and courts. White collar crimes such as bribery fall under the investigative jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office.
Georgia is not a signatory to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Georgia has, however, ratified the UN Convention against Corruption. Georgia cooperates with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the OECD’s Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies (ACN).
Following its assessment of Georgia in June 2016, the OECD released a report in September 2016, that concluded Georgia had achieved remarkable progress in eliminating petty corruption in public administration and should now focus on combating high-level and complex corruption. The report commends Georgia’s mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of its Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan as well as the important role given to civil society in this process. It also welcomes the adoption of a new Law on Civil Service and recommends that the remaining legislation necessary for the implementation of civil service reforms is adopted without delay. The Civil Service Bureau and Human Resources units in state bodies should be strengthened in order to ensure the implementation of the required reforms. The report highlights Georgia's good track record in prosecuting corruption crimes and in using modern methods to confiscate criminal proceeds. It recommends that Georgia step up enforcement of corporate liability and the prosecution of foreign bribery in order to address the perception of alleged corruption among local government officials as well as at the political level. The full report is available at: http://www.oecd.org/corruption/anti-bribery/Georgia-Round-4-Monitoring-Report-ENG.pdf.
Since 2003, Georgia has significantly improved its ranking in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report. In 2018, Georgia’s CPI score was 58, improving two points over its 2017 score, and it ranked 41st out of 180 countries surveyed in the Corruption Perception Index. Georgia is ahead of its regional and Eastern European peers in this regard, as it outscores the Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, Slovakia, Greece, Romania, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
While Georgia has been successful in fighting visible, low-level corruption, Georgia remains vulnerable to what Transparency International calls “elite” corruption: high-level officials exploiting legal loopholes for personal enrichment, status, or retribution. Although evidence is mostly anecdotal, this form of corruption, or the perception of its existence, has the potential to erode public and investor confidence in Georgia’s institutions and the investment environment. Institutions most vulnerable to corruption in Georgia include government at the federal and local level, parliament, the judiciary, political parties, law enforcement, media, and private business. Corruption remains a potential problem in public procurement processes, public administration practices, and the judicial system due to unclear laws and ethical standards.
Resources to Report Corruption
Government agency responsible for combating corruption:
Mr. Zurab Sanikidze
Head of Analytical Department
Ministry of Justice of Georgia
24 A Gorgasali Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
zsanikidze@justice.gov.ge
Non-governmental organization:
Ms. Eka Gigauri
Director
Transparency International
26, Rustaveli Ave, 0108, Tbilisi, Georgia
+995-32-292-14-03
ekag@transparency.ge
Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.
Georgia is not a signatory to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Georgia has, however, ratified the UN Convention against Corruption. Georgia cooperates with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the OECD’s Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies (ACN).
Following its assessment of Georgia in June 2016, the OECD released a report in September 2016, that concluded Georgia had achieved remarkable progress in eliminating petty corruption in public administration and should now focus on combating high-level and complex corruption. The report commends Georgia’s mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of its Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan as well as the important role given to civil society in this process. It also welcomes the adoption of a new Law on Civil Service and recommends that the remaining legislation necessary for the implementation of civil service reforms is adopted without delay. The Civil Service Bureau and Human Resources units in state bodies should be strengthened in order to ensure the implementation of the required reforms. The report highlights Georgia's good track record in prosecuting corruption crimes and in using modern methods to confiscate criminal proceeds. It recommends that Georgia step up enforcement of corporate liability and the prosecution of foreign bribery in order to address the perception of alleged corruption among local government officials as well as at the political level. The full report is available at: http://www.oecd.org/corruption/anti-bribery/Georgia-Round-4-Monitoring-Report-ENG.pdf.
Since 2003, Georgia has significantly improved its ranking in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report. In 2018, Georgia’s CPI score was 58, improving two points over its 2017 score, and it ranked 41st out of 180 countries surveyed in the Corruption Perception Index. Georgia is ahead of its regional and Eastern European peers in this regard, as it outscores the Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, Slovakia, Greece, Romania, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
While Georgia has been successful in fighting visible, low-level corruption, Georgia remains vulnerable to what Transparency International calls “elite” corruption: high-level officials exploiting legal loopholes for personal enrichment, status, or retribution. Although evidence is mostly anecdotal, this form of corruption, or the perception of its existence, has the potential to erode public and investor confidence in Georgia’s institutions and the investment environment. Institutions most vulnerable to corruption in Georgia include government at the federal and local level, parliament, the judiciary, political parties, law enforcement, media, and private business. Corruption remains a potential problem in public procurement processes, public administration practices, and the judicial system due to unclear laws and ethical standards.
Resources to Report Corruption
Government agency responsible for combating corruption:
Mr. Zurab Sanikidze
Head of Analytical Department
Ministry of Justice of Georgia
24 A Gorgasali Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
zsanikidze@justice.gov.ge
Non-governmental organization:
Ms. Eka Gigauri
Director
Transparency International
26, Rustaveli Ave, 0108, Tbilisi, Georgia
+995-32-292-14-03
ekag@transparency.ge
Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.