According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, in connection with the fact of the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, taking a large amount of a bribe, information was provided to the investigative body by the relative of the former Minister of Defence, Juansher Burchuladze - Vasil Mkheidze. The agency also reports that Juansher Burchuladze himself cooperated with the investigation. The case concerns three secret procurements conducted in 2022 for the purchase of medical inventory and equipment needed by the Ministry of Defence.

“The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has brought charges against the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, on the fact of taking a particularly large amount of a bribe by a group acting by prior agreement.

On 12 August 2026, the relative of the former Minister of Defence of Georgia, the convict Vasil Mkheidze, approached the Prosecutor’s Office with a desire to cooperate with the investigation and provided the investigation with all the information in his possession; Juansher Burchuladze was also questioned and cooperated with the investigation. As a result of the counter-investigative and procedural actions carried out by the State Security Service, it was established that in 2021-2024, Irakli Garibashvili, while holding the position of Prime Minister, was a person holding a state-political office. In accordance with the legislation, among other functions, he determined the main directions of the Government’s activity and organised the Government’s activity, and also carried out the coordination and control of the ministers’ activity.

In the same period, the position of Minister of Defence of Georgia was held by Juansher Burchuladze, who was also a person holding a state-political office. In accordance with the legislation, as a minister he was accountable to the Prime Minister of Georgia and, among other rights and duties, coordinated the activity of the structural subdivisions of the ministry and carried out official supervision over the decisions and activity of the corresponding officials of the ministry.

From the end of 2022, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia had a need to purchase various expensive medical equipment and inventory, which was to be carried out by way of a secret procurement. For the purpose of participating in the said procedures and obtaining unlawful financial benefit, by agreement with Juansher Burchuladze, his relative Vasil Mkheidze contacted an acquaintance businessman with the corresponding experience and proposed that the procurement be announced in such a form as would guaranteedly ensure the victory of the company connected with the latter at the desired price; in return he demanded that approximately 10% of the total contract value be transferred to him in cash.

After the person connected with Vasil Mkheidze initially refrained from the criminal agreement and demanded more guarantees from persons holding the highest offices, the then Minister of Defence Juansher Burchuladze, as an accountable person, agreed with the then Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, that the procurements for the needs of the Ministry of Defence would be carried out in such a form as would ensure the guaranteed victory of the companies connected with the above-mentioned entrepreneur at the desired price; in return they would receive solid unlawful financial benefit.

Having received full official protection from Irakli Garibashvili, who for his part demanded that the corresponding material benefit also be transferred to him and confirmed the reliability of the selected businessman in similar matters, on the instruction of Juansher Burchuladze, the then Deputy Minister of Defence of Georgia Giorgi Khaidrava and the then Head of the Procurement Department Vladimir Ghudushauri, through purposeful actions in the process of the Ministry’s purchase of various medical equipment and inventory for the LEPL ‘Giorgi Abramishvili Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia,’ created a non-competitive environment, as a result of which, by concluding unrealistic transactions, the value of the goods and services to be purchased under the contracts on secret procurement was artificially increased. As a result, during three secret procurements, the companies connected with the above-mentioned persons supplied the Ministry of Defence of Georgia with medical equipment and other inventory of a real value of 11,499,705 lari for 18,484,960 lari. In parallel with the above-mentioned procurements, in return for the corresponding guarantees and protection, the businessman participating in the procurements transferred to Vasil Mkheidze in cash in several stages approximately 10% of the total contract values - 1,900,000 lari, of which the latter retained 400,000 lari as personal benefit, while he fully transferred the remaining amount to Juansher Burchuladze. Of the 1,500,000 lari received by the latter as a bribe, he retained 750,000 lari himself, while he transferred the other half of the amount - 750,000 lari - in several stages also as a bribe in cash to Irakli Garibashvili.

As a result of the above-mentioned action, the state suffered property damage of a large amount - 6,985,255 lari - and the public interest was substantially violated.

The Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges against Irakli Garibashvili under Article 338, Part 2, sub-paragraphs ‘a’ and ‘g,’ and Part 3, sub-paragraph ‘e’ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which means the taking of a particularly large amount of a bribe by a person holding a state-political office, in a group, and provides for a penalty of deprivation of liberty from 11 to 15 years.

As for the other officials figuring in the case, we remind the public that they have already been convicted by the court in connection with the above-mentioned facts and have been assigned the corresponding sentences; among them, Juansher Burchuladze has been sentenced to 10 years of deprivation of liberty.

On the case of the charge against Irakli Garibashvili, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia will address the court only with a motion for the determination of a pre-trial hearing, because the latter is already serving a sentence on the basis of a conviction that has entered into force in another criminal case,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.