Former Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili faces new corruption charges

Imprisoned former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has been charged with a new corruption offence after publishing a series of letters accusing his former colleagues in the ruling party of blackmail.

The Prosecutor General’s Office accused Gharibashvili of receiving ₾750,000 ($290,000) in bribes linked to three secret Defence Ministry procurements. The case is linked to former Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, who is also serving a prison sentence after being convicted of abuse of power and money laundering, and other former ministry officials.

The agency claimed that during Gharibashvili’s tenure as prime minister between 2021–2024, the Defence Ministry needed to purchase expensive medical equipment and inventory through secret procurement procedures that rerouted funds back into his pocket.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said Burchuladze and his relative, Vasil Mkheidze, approached an unnamed businessperson and offered to arrange the procurements so that companies associated with him would win contracts at guaranteed prices. In return, the businessperson was allegedly required to pay 10% of the total contractual value in cash.

The agency said the businessperson initially refused to enter into the alleged criminal agreement and demanded guarantees from higher-ranking officials.

The General Prosecutor’s Office alleged that Burchuladze then agreed with Gharibashvili to conduct the procurements in a way that would ensure companies associated with the businessperson won the contracts.

The agency further alleged that Gharibashvili provided official protection for the arrangement and demanded that relevant financial benefits be transferred to him.