The Tbilisi City Court declined late on Saturday night prosecution’s motion for a pre-trial detention of Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava against whom additional charges have been filed this week in connection to alleged misspending of GEL 48.18 million of public funds.

The court, however, ordered Ugulava to post GEL 50,000 bail within thirty days.

The Tbilisi City Court has yet to rule on a separate motion in which prosecutors are requesting for suspending Ugulava from capital city’s mayoral office.

Charges, which were filed against Ugulava on December 18, involve allegations that he was behind a scheme through which GEL 48.18 million of municipal funds were funneled to cover UNM party’s various expenses in 2011-2012.

Ugulava said charges against him are part of government’s “political prosecution” against the opposition, especially ahead of the local elections next year in which he will seek re-election as Tbilisi mayor.

Ugulava is already standing trial into similar, but unrelated charges, which were filed against him in February 2013. At the time prosecution was asking the court GEL 1 bail and suspending Ugulava from the office – both of these motions were declined by the court.