“To claim that there is no evidence in the case is an unfounded position. All investigative leads will be explored, including an evaluation of [Juansher Burchuladze’s] actions during the investigation process,” prosecutor Irakli Marshania told journalists regarding the case involving former high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense.

According to him, the investigation was initiated based on operational information.

“The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has charged three individuals with the misappropriation of a large amount of funds belonging to the Ministry of Defense, committed by a group with prior agreement through the abuse of official positions, as well as aiding in such misappropriation. At this stage, there is a reasonable assumption that the individuals involved, specifically in 2023, were the then-Deputy Minister of Defense Giorgi Khaindrava, the former head of the Procurement Department Vladimer Ghudushauri, and a relative of the then-Minister of Defense, Vasil Mkheidze. They created a non-competitive environment, and expensive medical equipment—a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine—was purchased. Approximately more than 1.3 million GEL of state budget funds were misappropriated. During today’s court session, due to the risks of influencing witnesses, destroying evidence, committing new crimes, and absconding, the prosecution moved for the detention of each accused, which the court fully and justly granted.

It is not mandatory for someone to come forward and report a specific fact in a corruption case. In this case, there was relevant operational information. The investigation was initiated based on this operational information. Multiple pieces of evidence were obtained, including falsified documents and an expert report, which confirm the commission of the crime by the accused. To claim that there is no evidence in the case is an unfounded position,” Irakli Marshania stated.

When asked whether former Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze had been questioned, the prosecutor noted that, for the sake of the investigation’s interests, he could not answer this question.

“All investigative leads will be explored, including an evaluation of [Juansher Burchuladze’s] actions during the investigation process. I cannot comment further on who we have questioned, the directions we are pursuing, or the leads we are exploring, due to the interests of the investigation,” Marshania said.

For reference, 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 Khaindrava are accused of group misappropriation of a particularly large amount of funds, while 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 an 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.

All three accused were ordered detained as a preventive measure today.