Former Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze got his 10-year prison sentence reduced to three years as part of the second plea agreement in two criminal cases linked to an alleged corrupt deal involving the purchase of medical equipment while he was heading the ministry.
The plea deals follow what prosecutors described as Burchuladze’s cooperation with the investigation, which also involves fresh bribery charges against jailed ex-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Burchuladze and his associates were convicted in the first case related to the medical equipment procurement deal in April, including Burchuladze receiving a 10-year sentence on charges of abuse of office and large-scale money laundering. New bribery charges were brought against Burchuladze and his relative in September, weeks after Garibashvili was also charged with bribe-taking in the same case.
The bribery charges were immediately followed by a plea deal resulting in a five-year sentence for Burchuladze, of which three years were to be served in prison and two years suspended, along with a GEL 1 million fine, with prosecutors saying Burchuladze “cooperated” with the investigation.
The September 14 decision by the Court of Appeals thus marks the second instance of a reduced sentence through a plea deal for Burchuladze, this time relating to the ex-Minister’s initial sentence. Burchuladze’s new sentence was set at five years, with three years to be served in prison and two years suspended. He was also fined 1 million GEL [384,666 USD] and ordered to forfeit several assets to the state.
The Court also approved plea agreements for his brother-in-law Vasil Mkheidze and his former deputy, Giorgi Khaindrava, also sentenced in April to eight years each. Each of the two received a sentence of four years and two months, with one year and two months to be served in prison and the remaining three years suspended, as well as a fine of 100,000 GEL (USD 38,466). Both are thus expected to be released at the end of September as part of the reduced sentences.
Mkheidze was convicted of aiding the large-scale embezzlement of funds and influence peddling, while Khaindrava was convicted of large-scale embezzlement.
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