Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania announced on 27 October that the government has secured the return of over $500 million in property and assets from former state officials. Prime Minister Zhvania explained that the return of the \"illegally acquired property\" consists of buildings, private homes, and enterprises acquired by several former state officials \"who have made a fortune through drug business, arms trafficking,\" and other incidents of corruption. The return of the property and assets stems from the Georgian government\'s amnesty program, which has led to negotiated settlements with former ministers and officials of the government of former President Eduard Shevardnadze. Zhvania added that the $500 million amount is only for the first nine months of the year and he expects more property to be returned to the state. The most prominent cases include a payment of more than $3 million by former Georgian Railways Director Akaki Chkhaidze, who was released in March after his arrest in January for \"large-scale tax evasion.\" The immediate family of former President Shevardnadze has also been central to the amnesty plan, with Shevardnadze\'s son-in-law Gia Djokhtaberidze paying over $15 million for his release. (ITAR-TASS)