Court starts hearing of Irakli Garibashvili case on its merits; the accused attending the session in person for the first time
The hearing of the case against former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is accused of corruption-related offenses, has commenced at the Tbilisi City Court. The first session is currently underway, with Irakli Garibashvili himself in attendance for the first time.
Present in the courtroom are members of the former Prime Minister’s family, including his child, his wife—Nunuka Tamazashvili—his brother-in-law, Aleksandre Tamazashvili, and his uncle, Zura Gonashvili.
Former Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze is also in attendance. He is the only high-ranking official from the Georgian Dream party to appear at Irakli Garibashvili’s trial.
"Long live the man of the nation!" Luka Kurtanidze exclaimed as Garibashvili entered the courtroom. The judge issued a reprimand to Kurtanidze, calling on him to maintain order.
"Do you have a full command of the Georgian language?" — Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili addressed Irakli Gharibashvili.
"I am trying," Gharibashvili replied to the judge, prompting a remark from Mchedlishvili.
"I appreciate a joke, but let’s keep things within the proper bounds for these proceedings," the judge said to Gharibashvili.
Furthermore, in response to another question from the judge—"Do you plead guilty to the charges brought against you?"—Gharibashvili answered in the negative, saying, "No."
For context, the Prosecutor's Office charged Irakli Gharibashvili under Article 338, Part 2, Subparagraphs "a" and "c," and Part 3, Subparagraph "e" of the Criminal Code of Georgia. These provisions pertain to the acceptance of a bribe—in an especially large amount and committed as part of a group—by an individual holding a state-political office; the offense carries a penalty of 11 to 15 years of imprisonment. Irakli Gharibashvili has been convicted of legalizing illicit income of an especially large amount. Under a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of 1 million GEL.
