The former Deputy Minister of Defense, Giorgi Khaindrava, the former head of the Ministry’s Procurement Department, Vladimer Ghudushauri, and the brother of Juansher Burchuladze’s wife, Vasil Mkheidze, have been ordered detained as a preventive measure.

This decision was made by Tbilisi City Court Judge Irakli Khuskivadze.

As he explained, since the defense questions the possibility of the alleged crime, he would provide some clarification. According to Khuskivadze, the case includes witness testimonies and an expert report determining the actual cost of the tomography equipment.

The judge stated that why specific individuals are implicated in the crime by certain people will be clarified at the next stage.

Until then, he noted, based on the nature of the committed act and the damage caused to the state, there were grounds for applying detention as a preventive measure.

During today’s court session, the issue of imposing preventive measures on the detainees was discussed.

The prosecution demanded the strictest preventive measure—detention.

According to prosecutor Irakli Marshania, there are both factual and formal grounds for applying preventive measures against the detainees.

The prosecutor highlighted the risks of the accused committing new crimes, absconding, or influencing witnesses. Additionally, Marshania stated that a range of investigative actions still need to be conducted, including questioning the accused’s former colleagues and individuals connected to them, whom the detainees could potentially influence.

Furthermore, according to the prosecutor, the detainees have crossed the state border multiple times, and due to the fear of the expected punishment—since the offense mandates 7 to 11 years of imprisonment without alternative—they may attempt to flee.

The defense disagreed with the prosecution’s motion. As Vasil Mkheidze’s lawyer, Dimitri Mchedlishvili, explained, the motion is unjustified, and the grounds cited by the prosecution are abstract. He submitted a motion for his client’s release on a 100,000 GEL bail.

The lawyer of Juansher Burchuladze’s deputy, Giorgi Khaindrava, Teona Gvazava, also disagreed with the prosecution’s motion. She requested the court to apply a 100,000 GEL bail for Khaindrava, noting that if the court deemed this amount insufficient, the accused owns property valued at 200,000 GEL, which could be used to secure the bail. Additionally, according to the lawyer, the court could impose other restrictive measures.

According to the lawyer of Juansher Burchuladze’s wife’s brother, Vasil Mkheidze, Tariel Kakabadze, the case is “sewn with white thread” (i.e., fabricated). As he explained, there is only one witness against Mkheidze, who implicated him to “save himself from being handcuffed.”

Kakabadze submitted a motion for Mkheidze’s release on a 100,000 GEL bail, explaining that if the court deemed a higher amount necessary, they would secure it with real estate. Additionally, Kakabadze requested the application of any other restrictive measures.

The judge granted the prosecution’s motion.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 17 at 11:00 AM.

For reference, Vladimer Ghudushauri is exercising his right to remain silent, while Vasil Mkheidze and Giorgi Khaindrava do not admit guilt.

The former Deputy Minister of Defense, Giorgi Khaindrava, the former head of the Ministry’s Procurement Department, Vladimer Ghudushauri, and the brother of the then-Minister of Defense’s wife, Vasil Mkheidze, were officially charged yesterday.

Ghudushauri and Giorgi Khaindrava are accused of group misappropriation of a particularly large amount of funds, while Vasil Mkheidze is accused of aiding in the misappropriation.

According to the charges, Juansher Burchuladze’s deputy, Giorgi Khaindrava, and the then-head of the Ministry of Defense’s Procurement Department, Vladimer Ghudushauri, with the assistance of Burchuladze’s wife’s brother, Vasil Mkheidze, created a non-competitive environment through deliberate actions during the procurement process for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for the military hospital. As a result, through fictitious transactions, the actual cost of the equipment was inflated, leading to the misappropriation of 1,333,728 GEL belonging to the Georgian Ministry of Defense.

The investigation concerns the misappropriation of a large amount of funds belonging to the Georgian Ministry of Defense by a group with prior agreement, through the abuse of official positions, and aiding in misappropriation. It is being conducted under Article 182, Part 2, Subparagraphs “a” and “d,” and Part 3, Subparagraph “b” of the Georgian Criminal Code, which provides for imprisonment ranging from 7 to 11 years as the type and measure of punishment.