Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili with accepting a particularly large bribe as part of a group conspiracy. The case concerns a GEL 750,000 bribe allegedly received from state procurement contracts of the Ministry of Defence, which, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, was passed to then-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili through then-Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze. Garibashvili is currently serving a five-year prison sentence under a plea agreement, while the new charge carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.
According to Deputy Prosecutor General Amiran Guluashvili, on August 12, 2026, Vasili Mkheidze, a relative of the former Defence Minister and a convicted individual, approached the Prosecutor’s Office expressing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation. He provided investigators with all the information in his possession, which led to the charges being brought against Irakli Garibashvili. Guluashvili said that Juansher Burchuladze was also questioned and cooperated with the investigation.
“Investigative and procedural measures carried out by the State Security Service established that from 2021 to 2024, while Irakli Garibashvili served as Prime Minister, he was a state-political official. In accordance with the law, among other functions, he determined the main areas of government activity and organized the work of the government, as well as coordinated and supervised the activities of ministers.During the same period, Juansher Burchuladze served as Minister of Defence and was also a state-political official. Under the law, as minister, he was accountable to the Prime Minister and, among other powers and responsibilities, coordinated the activities of the ministry’s structural units and exercised official supervision over the decisions and activities of relevant ministry officials.From late 2022, the Ministry of Defence identified a need to purchase various expensive medical equipment and supplies, which was to be carried out through classified procurement procedures. In order to participate in these procedures and obtain an unlawful financial benefit, Vasili Mkheidze, in agreement with Juansher Burchuladze, contacted a businessman he knew who had relevant experience. He offered to arrange the procurement in a manner that would guarantee the victory of a company affiliated with the businessman at a desired price. In return, he demanded that 10% of the total contract value be paid to him in cash.After the person affiliated with Vasili Mkheidze initially refrained from entering into the criminal agreement and demanded additional guarantees from high-ranking officials, then-Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, as an accountable official, reached an agreement with then-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili that procurement for the needs of the Ministry of Defence would be carried out in a manner ensuring that companies affiliated with the aforementioned businessman would win the contracts at the desired prices, in exchange for substantial unlawful financial benefits.After receiving full official protection from Irakli Garibashvili, who in turn demanded that a corresponding material benefit be transferred to him and vouched for the selected businessman’s reliability in such matters, then-Deputy Defence Minister Giorgi Khaindrava and then-Head of the Procurement Department Vladimir Gudushauri, acting on Juansher Burchuladze’s instructions, deliberately created an uncompetitive environment during the ministry’s procurement of various medical equipment and supplies for the Giorgi Abramishvili Georgian Ministry of Defence Military Hospital.As a result, through the conclusion of sham transactions, the value of the goods and services to be purchased under the classified procurement contracts was artificially inflated. In three classified procurements, companies affiliated with the aforementioned individuals supplied medical equipment and other inventory with an actual value of GEL 11,499,705 to the Ministry of Defence for GEL 18,484,960.In parallel with the aforementioned procurements, in exchange for the relevant guarantees and protection, the businessman participating in the procurements transferred approximately 10% of the total contract values — GEL 1.9 million — in cash to Vasili Mkheidze in several installments. The latter retained GEL 400,000 as personal benefit and transferred the remaining amount in full to Juansher Burchuladze. Of the GEL 1.5 million he received as a bribe, Burchuladze retained GEL 750,000 for himself, while the other half — GEL 750,000 — was also handed over in cash to Irakli Garibashvili in several installments as a bribe.
As a result of the above-mentioned actions, the state suffered substantial property damage amounting to GEL 6,985,255, and the public interest was seriously violated.The Prosecutor’s Office has charged Irakli Garibashvili under Article 338, Paragraphs 2(a) and 2(c), and Paragraph 3(e) of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The charges concern the acceptance of a particularly large bribe by a state-political official acting as part of a group and carry a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.
As for the other officials involved in the case, the public is reminded that they have already been convicted by the court in connection with the aforementioned facts and have been sentenced accordingly. Among them, Juansher Burchuladze has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“The Prosecutor’s Office will appeal to the court in Irakli Garibashvili’s case only with a motion to schedule a preliminary hearing, as he is already serving a sentence in another criminal case based on a final guilty verdict,” Deputy Prosecutor General Amiran Guluashvili said.
