The Tbilisi City Court deliberated on the bribery case against former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and scheduled the pre-trial hearing for October 19 at 11:00 AM, IPN reported.Regarding preventative measures, Judge Pikria Sekturashvili stated that there were "no grounds to alter his detention status".
Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili did not attend the hearing. According to the judge, a statement submitted by the penitentiary facility indicated that Garibashvili declined to participate in the proceedings, allowing the hearing to move forward in his absence.
Details of the New ChargesAllegations: The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia filed new charges against Garibashvili regarding the alleged receipt of an exceptionally large bribe committed by a group with prior agreement.
Scope: Prosecutors allege the case stems from classified state procurement conducted by the Ministry of Defense, resulting in a 750,000 GEL bribe handed to Garibashvili.Mechanism: The prosecution claims the funds reached Garibashvili via then-Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze. The investigation asserts that competition was artificially restricted during the procurement of medical equipment and inventory, forcing the state to pay significantly higher prices than market value.Current StatusGaribashvili is currently serving a 5-year sentence under a court-approved plea deal in a separate criminal case. The new charges carry a potential sentence of 11 to 15 years in prison.
