The ex-mayor of Lentekhi along with two other officials have been detained for unlawfully authorizing a hotel construction license

Authorities in Georgia have arrested the former mayor of Lentekhi, a small town about 320 kilometers northwest of the capital, Tbilisi, along with two municipal officials accused of issuing a hotel construction permit to a company owned by the ex-mayor’s wife without following required procedures.

The arrest came more than a year after iFact and OCCRP published an investigation into Gia Oniani, whose administration allegedly granted the permit without installing an informational board or complying with safety regulations. Investigators said Oniani was also involved in the company’s decision-making.

Oniani, who served as mayor from 2021 to 2025, now faces abuse-of-office charges that carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.

According to the prosecutors, shortly after taking office Oniani bought a plot of land for the hotel project and commissioned construction plans. Because the site included a cultural heritage monument, it required special legal oversight.

Reporting by OCCRP found that the mayor had originally owned the company that was building the hotel with his sister-in-law but transferred his share to his wife months before taking office. Her sister later transferred her own share as well, making Onniani’s wife the sole owner.

Another detainee, Giorgi Gulbani, was responsible for site safety, according to the 2024 investigation, which found the area was neither fenced off nor marked with an information board. Prosecutors say Gulbani, a close relative of the former mayor, failed to halt construction despite legal violations.

The third suspect, Nugzar Tvildiani, head of the municipal architectural department, is also facing abuse-of-power charges.