Former Defense Minister Reaches Plea Deal in New Bribery Case
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Jailed former Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his relative Vasil Mkheidze have reached plea agreements with prosecutors over new bribery charges linked to a Defense Ministry medical equipment procurement case that also involves former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Under the proposed agreements, Burchuladze would receive a five-year sentence, with three years to be served in prison and two years suspended, and would pay a GEL 1 million fine. Mkheidze would receive a four-year-and-two-month sentence, with one year and two months in prison and the remainder suspended, and pay a GEL 100,000 fine.
It remains unclear whether the agreements will affect the sentences the two are already serving in connection with the same case.
Burchuladze is serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted of abuse of office and money laundering. Mkheidze is serving eight years after being convicted of aiding the large-scale embezzlement of public funds.
The new charges were announced two weeks after prosecutors charged Garibashvili with taking a bribe in the same investigation. At the time, prosecutors said the allegations against the former prime minister were based on testimony from Burchuladze and Mkheidze.
In a Sept. 8 statement, the Prosecutor's Office said Burchuladze had been charged with taking a particularly large bribe as part of a group acting under a prior agreement. Mkheidze was charged with aiding the taking of a bribe.
Prosecutors said they would seek the plea agreements at the defendants' first court hearing, citing their "degree of cooperation" with the investigation. The charges carry prison terms of 11 to 15 years under Georgia's Criminal Code.
The investigation concerns procurement conducted in 2022, when Garibashvili was prime minister and Burchuladze was defense minister.
Prosecutors allege that Mkheidze agreed with a business associate to tailor a tender for medical equipment and supplies to ensure the associate's company won the contract. In return, he allegedly sought a cash payment equal to 10% of the contract value.
Prosecutors say Garibashvili provided "full official protection" for the arrangement. Acting on Burchuladze's instructions, then-Deputy Defense Minister Giorgi Khaindrava and then-head of the ministry's Procurement Department Vladimer Ghudushauri allegedly created "a non-competitive environment" for purchases for the Giorgi Abramishvili Military Hospital.
The case involves three classified procurement contracts. Prosecutors allege that the value of the goods and services was artificially inflated, with companies linked to those involved supplying medical equipment and other inventory worth GEL 11,499,705 for GEL 18,484,960.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the businessman paid Mkheidze about GEL 1.9 million, representing roughly 10% of the contract value. Mkheidze allegedly kept GEL 400,000 and transferred about GEL 1.5 million to Burchuladze.
Burchuladze allegedly kept GEL 750,000 and passed the remaining amount to Garibashvili in several instalments.
"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 is already serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty in a separate money laundering case. His bribery charges came after he alleged that members of the Georgian Dream government had pressured him to take responsibility for an expected corruption case in exchange for staying out of politics.
Prosecutors have not said whether the new plea agreements will change the prison terms Burchuladze and Mkheidze are currently serving.
