Ucha Mamatsashvili recently acquired a construction permit for a luxurious residence in Tskneti in an unusually short timeframe. Located on a prestigious 9,000-square-meter plot in Kaklebi, this land was partially purchased by his brother, Archil Mamatsashvili, from the Tbilisi Municipality at a price well below market value. It was later transferred to Ucha Mamatsashvili free of charge.
An investigation by Forbes Georgia reveals the inner workings of a system that favors Georgia’s informal ruler, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and his family while the country grapples with political turmoil and its European future remains uncertain.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose $4.9 billion fortune accounts for approximately 15% of Georgia’s GDP, frequently entrusts his relatives with managing his companies and promoting his interests in various areas. For years, he has trusted family members to assist with state affairs, underlining his deep confidence in them. One of his most dependable confidants is Ucha Mamatsashvili, who served as the Deputy Director of the state investment fund known as the Partnership Fund. Mamatsashvili was also a shareholder in the management company of the Georgian Co-Investment Fund, a private fund established by Bidzina Ivanishvili.
According to a report by Transparency International Georgia dated April 27, 2022, Aleksandre Ivanishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s brother, along with his wife and Ucha Mamatsashvili, was involved in a joint business venture through the company Geo Organics with several high-profile Russian figures who are currently under U.S. sanctions.
These individuals included Georgy Poltavchenko, a former governor of St. Petersburg and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and Roland Kherianov, a former senior official from Volgograd. Kherianov’s wife, Anna Kuvichko, is a former member of the State Duma and a well-known propagandist.
Due to these connections, Ukraine imposed sanctions on four Georgian citizens in 2022: Ucha Mamatsashvili, Tate Mamatsashvili, Aleksandre Ivanishvili, and Ketevan Kharaidze.
The sanctions document, published on the Ukrainian President’s official website, outlines severe restrictions, including asset freezes, a complete ban on trade operations and resource transit, the suspension of economic and financial obligations, the revocation or suspension of licenses, and numerous other punitive measures.
Ucha Mamatsashvili was just the beginning. On December 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed financial sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili due to his involvement in “undermining democratic processes in Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation.” Additionally, a proposal to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili has been submitted to the UK House of Commons and currently has 25 signatories.
Widespread protests in Georgia contributed to the imposition of Western sanctions. Demonstrations erupted following parliamentary elections that were marred by significant irregularities. Citizens have taken to the streets daily, demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners. The most intense wave of protests, which continues to this day, was ignited by a statement from Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announcing that Georgia would temporarily suspend its EU accession process. The government’s response to the protests has been exceptionally brutal: over 500 people have been arrested, and around 50 individuals, including members of the media, are facing criminal charges.
Bidzina Ivanishvili anticipated the upcoming sanctions and prepared accordingly. On April 19, 2024, the Georgian Parliament passed a bill on its third reading that provides tax benefits for transferring assets from offshore-registered companies to Georgian entities. Soon after, Ivanishvili and his family began moving their offshore assets back to Georgia. As of January 29, 2025, they had registered eight new joint-stock companies in Georgia and transferred 12 companies from offshore jurisdictions. According to Transparency International Georgia, the total capital of the transferred companies amounts to ₾163.2 million.
Western sanctions have not impeded the growth of Ivanishvili’s family wealth. A notable recent example is Ucha Mamatsashvili’s new luxury residence in Kaklebi, a prestigious forested district known for its panoramic views and tranquil atmosphere, which attracts the wealthiest segment of Georgian society. The Mamatsashvili family owns a total of 8,655 m2 in Kaklebi, registered under the name of Ucha Mamatsashvili’s wife, Lela Mamatsashvili. The site for their new home consolidates ten separate land plots. Forbes Georgia’s investigation has revealed that the Mamatsashvili family acquired this property through a combination of purchases, donations, and privatization processes conducted under questionable circumstances.
In 2018, Tbilisi City Hall auctioned two land plots measuring 542 m2 and 437 m2, totaling 1,014 square meters. The first auction was announced on May 22, 2018, and the second on June 1, 2018.
Only one participant expressed interest in both auctions and automatically won the bids. Archil Mamatsashvili, the brother of Ucha Mamatsashvili, was the winner and new owner of both plots.
- Archil Mamatsashvili purchased a total area of 1,014 square meters for 144,829 GEL. The 542 m2 plot for 80,025 GEL (147.6 GEL per m2) and the 437 m2 plot for 64,804 GEL (148 GEL per m2).
- At that time, the average market price for land in Kaklebi was between $120 and $150 per square meter—significantly higher than what the Mamatsashvili family paid (147–148 GEL per m2, or roughly $55 at the time).
- On August 18, 2021, Archil Mamatsashvili transferred both properties to his brother, Ucha Mamatsashvili, free of charge.
Interestingly, the request for the free transfer of property was initially not granted due to a bureaucratic error in the initial registration. Instead of Ucha Mamatsashvili, the document contained the ID number of Vakhtang Karichashvili, a dual citizen of Russia and Georgia. Karichashvili is Ucha’s business partner and the owner of Bolero & Company and GVMT Group, two of the largest wine-exporting companies in Russia. Once the mistake was corrected, the land was transferred to Lela Mamatsashvili by Ucha Mamatsashvili in 2022.
It should also be noted that the LEPL National Agency of State Property imposed certain building restrictions on both plots of land, prohibiting construction unless they were joined with adjacent land plots. However, this restriction was quickly lifted in 2023 when Lela Mamatsashvili registered the adjacent plots under her ownership.
The Mamatsashvili family gradually secured the massive land parcel, starting with Lela Mamatsashvili’s acquisition and registration of the land in 2020.
- 2020: Lela Mamatsashvili purchased 965 m² of land from Reality Avlabari LLC, which had privatized the plot from the National Agency of State Property in 2019. Reality Avlabari LLC paid GEL 234,263 for the plot and sold it to Lela Mamatsashvili within a few months for roughly the same price, $79,000 (GEL 241,740).
- 2020-2022: Lela Mamatsashvili purchased six plots of land with a total area of 5,677 m2 from private owners. In 2020, Lela purchased three plots with a total area of 2,565 m2. In 2021, she purchased two additional plots with an area of 2,362 m2; in 2022, she purchased 750 m2 of land.
- 2022: Lela Mamatsashvili received plots of land as gifts not only from her husband, Ucha Mamatsashvili (542 m2 and 437 m2), but also directly from Archil Mamatsashvili (1,000 m2 and 1,000 m2). Archil transferred four plots of land with a total area of 2,979 m2 to the family of Ucha Mamatsashvili completely free of charge under a gift agreement.
It is worth noting that some of the plots mentioned above had different designated purposes. For Lela Mamatsashvili to join them into one plot and register it, each plot had to have the same (non-agricultural) purpose. In three prior cases, the Public Registry did not allow the previous owners to change the designation, but Lela Mamatsashvili’s application was granted in 2023 without any problems.
After changing the designated purpose of the plots, Lela Mamatsashvili’s representative once again applied to the Public Registry in 2023, this time with a request to join the ten plots of land. After requesting additional documentation, the Public Registry granted the request and registered the plots as a single property.
The process of obtaining a construction permit for the plot began in the summer of the same year, when architect Giorgi Kevanishvili, representing Lela Mamatsashvili, applied to the Tbilisi Architecture Service (an agency within Tbilisi City Hall) with a request to establish the conditions for using the land for construction. After submitting the relevant documents, the Tbilisi Architecture Service granted his request in April 2024. The agency outlined the conditions for the location of the building and preparation of the architecture project.
Lela Mamatsashvili’s representative soon applied to the Tbilisi Architecture Service for approval of the project and a construction permit, which was received within two months of the application.
Currently, the usual timeframe for the Tbilisi Architecture Service to decide on a project of this scale exceeds two months. In most cases, the process can drag on for up to six months—but only if you are an ordinary citizen and not a member of an oligarch family. Given this and other circumstances, the legality of the process raises reasonable doubts.
What is certain is that Ucha Mamatsashvili’s new family home in Kaklebi will be anything but modest. Its garden will stretch over a 3,500 m2 area, while the residential building will be decorated with tiles, stained glass windows, and pastel colors. According to the plan, the building will have three floors and incorporate two utility buildings, with a total area of 2,302.8 m2.
After studying the project, it becomes clear that the Mamatsashvili family home will be one of the most luxurious residences in Tbilisi.
“A swimming pool, spa, massage rooms, and utility rooms. A gym on the second floor. The third wing will be for guests. A living room, office, kitchen, and utility room will be on the ground floor. The bedrooms and kitchen will be on the second floor. An outdoor pool will also be installed in the garden. One of the utility buildings will house a security room, while the other will house the generators,” – the project description reads.
While the exact cost of construction is difficult to estimate, rising material prices and building expenses in recent years suggest that the oligarch’s cousin will likely need to spend several million dollars to complete the residence.
Update: The initial version of this article stated that we had reached out to Ucha Mamatsashvili’s representatives for comment. We intended to publish Ucha Mamatsashvili’s comments in the same article, and we had prepared questions for this purpose. However, an internal review determined that the letter was never sent due to an error and never reached the intended recipient. We regret this oversight and acknowledge that all parties should have the opportunity to respond to any evidence we present. Below, we have shared the statement from Ucha Mamatsashvili’s lawyer regarding the issues discussed in this article.
Arguments Presented by Mamatsashvili’s Lawyer Against the Evidence Obtained by Forbes Georgia
According to Ucha Mamatsashvili’s lawyer, Archil Mamatsashvili purchased two land plots at an auction, one of which was located between properties he already owned. Because of this, the lawyer argues, the plots were not financially viable for other buyers, which is why no additional participants appeared at the auction.
However, this argument applies to only one of the plots. Archil Mamatsashvili’s land did not surround the second but was adjacent to another privately owned property. That owner could also have consolidated the plots, raising the question of why no other potential buyers participated in the auction, which would have undoubtedly increased the final sale price.
The lawyer’s statement also claims that the change in land designation and subsequent consolidation were standard procedures. They argue that it is natural that the municipal restrictions were lifted after the plots were merged and their configuration was changed.
Nonetheless, this process remains questionable, given that the previous owners of these plots had been denied similar requests. Once the land was transferred to Lela Mamatsashvili, the same request was approved—even though only the owner had changed, not the actual circumstances. This raises a legitimate question about what led the National Agency of Public Registry to change its stance.
*In 2018, the previous land plot owner requested a change in the plot’s designated purpose at the Public Registry, but the registry’s commission denied the request. However, in 2023, when Lela Mamatsashvili submitted the same type of request, the Public Registry approved it. In two other cases, Archil Mamatsashvili, the then-owner of the plots, requested the change. Archil submitted his request to the Public Registry in 2018 in one instance, but it was denied. The request was only approved after Lela Mamatsashvili submitted it. The second case followed the same pattern: Archil was denied a zoning change, whereas Lela Mamatsashvili received approval.[Please Note: In all three cases, it was not Lela Mamatsashvili herself who approached the Public Registry but her representative, Nana Lartsuliani.]
The statement also claims that the journalist incorrectly stated that the construction permit was issued within two months. In reality, the process took ten months, as the license was granted in two stages: first, determining the land plot’s conditions for construction use, and second, issuing the actual construction permit.
Indeed, the ten-month period includes the first stage; however, the article specifically refers to the second stage, when the construction project was submitted to the municipality’s architecture department (April 22) and the permit was issued (June 17). For a project of this scale, obtaining a license within two months is an unusually short timeframe, whereas in other similar cases, the process typically takes much longer.
The property transactions of Ivanishvili’s inner circle, in this case, Ucha Mamatsashvili’s family, once again confirm the existence of a widespread corruption mechanism in Georgia:
- The transfer of public land into private ownership at prices below market value.
- The redistribution and consolidation of property within one family circle.
- The rapid approval of permits in the municipality—something that is impossible for ordinary citizens.
The history of how the Mamatsashvili family acquired this land demonstrates how those with connections, influence, and power benefit under the rule of the Georgian Dream government. While supporters of Georgia’s Western integration risk their safety to defend the country’s European future, Ivanishvili’s close associates continue to acquire valuable property and enjoy privileges without disruption.
Georgia’s political future is more uncertain than ever, but one thing remains clear—the system continues to function seamlessly for the benefit of the oligarch’s relatives, even amid a national crisis.
Forbes Georgia operates based on the principles of fact-based reporting. The original article was based on data obtained from open sources and included evidence that readers can verify themselves.
