Vasil Mkhеidze, the brother-in-law of former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, will receive a plea agreement in the criminal case involving former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, according to Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office.
Under the proposed deal, Mkhеidze will be sentenced to four years and two months in prison, of which he will serve one year and two months, while three years will be suspended. He will also pay a GEL 100,000 fine. Mkhеidze has already been sentenced to eight years in prison in a separate criminal case.
Prosecutors allege that Mkhеidze, acting in coordination with Burchuladze, approached a businessman over secret Defense Ministry procurements and sought a payment equal to around 10% of contract values in exchange for ensuring his companies won the contracts. Three procurements resulted in equipment worth GEL 11.5 million being purchased for GEL 18.48 million, causing the state an alleged GEL 6.99 million loss.
According to the investigation, the businessman paid Mkhеidze GEL 1.9 million in cash. Mkhеidze allegedly kept GEL 400,000 and transferred GEL 1.5 million to Burchuladze, who allegedly retained GEL 750,000 and passed the remaining GEL 750,000 to Garibashvili. Prosecutors charged Burchuladze and Mkhеidze with taking and assisting in taking an especially large bribe as part of a group.
