Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in a money laundering case, has been charged with taking a bribe, shortly after claiming that he was subjected to pressure and blackmail to take the blame in a forthcoming corruption case.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia announced on August 24 that Garibashvili had been charged with accepting a particularly large bribe as a public official and by a group of persons acting on a prior agreement. The scheme allegedly resulted in total losses of up to GEL 7 million (USD 2.7 million) to public funds, with the ex-PM facing 11 to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The charges stem from a Defense Ministry procurement case that has already led to several arrests and convictions, including of ex-Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, over an alleged scheme that involved purchasing medical inventory at an artificially inflated price to secure cash payment from the company involved. According to prosecutors, the charges are based on testimonies from former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his brother-in-law, Vasil Mkheidze.
According to prosecutors, Garibashvili also participated in the deal and secured a bribe of GEL 750,000 (about USD 290,000).
Alleged Procurement Scheme
The prosecutors say that in 2022, when Garibashvili was Prime Minister and Burchuladze was Defense Minister, Mkheidze reached an agreement with a business acquaintance to tailor the tender for medical equipment and inventory to ensure the his company’s victory, asking in return for 10% of the total contract value to be paid to him in cash.
To provide additional guarantees to the businessman involved, Burchuladze allegedly agreed the deal with Garibashvili, with Garibashvili allegedly requesting his share of the “material benefit.”
According to the prosecutors, the alleged deal was followed by a procurement process in which Burchuladze’s associates created an uncompetitive environment, artificially inflating the value of the goods and services to be procured under classified contracts. As a result, the Ministry purchased medical equipment and other inventory with a real value of GEL 11,499,705 for GEL 18,484,960, the agency said.
As part of the deal, the businessman involved handed GEL 1.9 million — approximately 10% of the total contract value — to Mkheidze in several installments, the Prosecutor’s Office said. Mkheidze allegedly retained GEL 400,000 and handed the remaining GEL 1.5 million to Burchuladze, who, in turn, handed half of that amount — GEL 750,000 — to Garibashvili as a bribe.
“As a result of the aforementioned actions, the state suffered substantial property damage amounting to GEL 6,985,255, and the public interest was seriously violated,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Garibashvili’s Blackmail Allegations
The new charges follow fresh allegations by Garibashvili himself that he was subjected to blackmail and pressure to take the blame in a forthcoming corruption case, allegedly as a means of keeping him out of politics for good. Garibashvili is currently serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty in a serious money laundering case. His defense has argued that admitting to receiving illicit income does not amount to confessing to corruption.
Garibashvili made pressure allegations in a series of statements. In his first statement, published on August 17, the ex-PM cited a letter containing the offer to confess to a new case sent “on the instruction” of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s billionaire founder and current honorary chairman, without making his role in the alleged pressure fully clear. Confession to forthcoming charges would result in another plea deal and spare him more prison years, per the alleged letter.
In the second statement, issued on August 18, Garibashvili no longer mentioned Ivanishvili, but said that the Georgian Dream government’s anti-corruption drive, announced last year, was aimed at his “political destruction.” He also claimed that the alleged letter had been sent by current Regional Development Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze.
In his third letter, published on August 20, Garibashvili directly accused the Georgian Dream government of setting a trap and staging a provocation, terrorizing his family, and even hinting at his father’s arrest as part of further blackmail. He again mentioned Ivanishvili, but this time said he had kept his problems private out of love, respect, and “absolute loyalty” to him.
Garibashvili’s Trial and Conviction
Garibashvili’s trial and conviction came amid a series of prosecutions and a declared anti-corruption drive by Georgian Dream targeting former officials and business associates linked to the ruling party. One of Ivanishvili’s closest aides prior to coming to politics, he served as Georgian prime minister twice, from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2024.
Garibashvili announced quitting the ruling party and politics in April 2025, about a year after Irakli Kobakhidze succeeded him as prime minister. He was charged with money laundering in October 2025, shortly after officials said to have seized over USD 7 million in cash and valuables after searching dozens of homes belonging to former officials, including Garibashvili. Officials said at the time Garibashvili “admitted to receiving illicit income over the years,” including while serving as prime minister.
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