Former Georgian PM Garibashvili Charged With Bribery in Defense Procurement Case
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been charged with accepting a particularly large bribe in a Defense Ministry procurement case, the Prosecutor's Office said on Monday.
The new charges come as Garibashvili serves a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in a separate money laundering case. If convicted, he faces another 11 to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that Garibashvili received GEL 750,000 from a scheme involving Defense Ministry purchases in 2022, when he was prime minister and Juansher Burchuladze was defense minister. Burchuladze has already been convicted in a related case.
The prosecution said its case against Garibashvili is based in part on testimony from Burchuladze and his brother-in-law, Vasil Mkheidze.
According to investigators, Mkheidze arranged with a businessman to manipulate a Defense Ministry tender for medical equipment and supplies so the businessman's company would win the contract. In return, the businessman allegedly agreed to pay 10% of the contract value in cash.
Prosecutors said Burchuladze agreed to the arrangement and involved Garibashvili, who allegedly requested a share of the proceeds.
The ministry eventually purchased the goods for GEL 18,484,960, although prosecutors estimated their actual value at GEL 11,499,705. They said the process was manipulated to restrict competition and inflate prices.
The businessman allegedly paid GEL 1.9 million to Mkheidze, who kept GEL 400,000 and passed GEL 1.5 million to Burchuladze. Prosecutors allege that Burchuladze then gave GEL 750,000 to Garibashvili.
The state suffered GEL 6,985,255 in losses as a result of the scheme, prosecutors said.
The charges follow allegations by Garibashvili that he was pressured and blackmailed to accept responsibility for another corruption case.
In statements issued earlier this month, he said he had received a letter offering a plea deal in exchange for admitting to charges that had not yet been filed. He initially said the proposal had been made "on the instruction" of Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Garibashvili later accused Regional Development Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze of sending the letter and said the government's anti-corruption campaign was aimed at his "political destruction." He also alleged that his family had been intimidated and that authorities had hinted at arresting his father.
Garibashvili, a former close associate of Ivanishvili, served as prime minister from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2024. He left the Georgian Dream and quit politics in April 2025.
He was charged with money laundering in October 2025 after authorities said searches linked to former officials uncovered more than GEL 7 million in cash and valuables. Officials said Garibashvili had admitted receiving illicit income over several years, including while serving as prime minister.
