Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze commented on the detention of former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, describing it as a grave fact, especially at a time when the country is in a precarious situation.

According to Kaladze, fighting corruption and implementing preventive measures are fundamentally important for the ruling team.

"Fighting corruption and taking preventive measures are fundamentally important. As for Burchuladze’s detention, of course, it is not pleasant for me or my teammates. It’s a grave fact when your teammate is detained at a time when the country is walking on a knife’s edge. The honorary chairman of the party has set everything aside, and you know how he fights the evil that opposes Georgia, our homeland. In these conditions and circumstances, when such incidents occur, it is very unfortunate," Kaladze stated.

For reference, according to the Prosecutor's Office, in 2023, Juansher Burchuladze abused his official position, with the assistance of his deputy, a relative, and the former head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Defense, to supply a military hospital with a medical device for 3,940,000 GEL instead of its actual value of 2,606,272 GEL, resulting in property damage of 1,333,728 GEL to the Ministry.

In March 2025, Juansher Burchuladze and his spouse purchased property in Spain for 544,000 EUR. To conceal and disguise the origin of this property and give it a legal appearance, they concluded a fictitious purchase agreement with a third party for real estate in Tsqneti.

The former Defense Minister is accused of legalizing illegal and unjustified income totaling 1,593,212 GEL.

Juansher Burchuladze has been charged under subparagraph "c" of the third part of Article 194 and the second part of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertain to the abuse of official authority by a state-political official and the legalization of illegal income. These offenses carry a penalty of 9 to 12 years of imprisonment.