Vladimer Ghudushauri, former head of the Georgian Defence Ministry’s procurement department, who was arrested alongside former Defence Minister Jansher Burchuladze, is to receive a plea agreement comprising a four-year suspended sentence, a fine of 10,000 lari, and a one-year ban from holding public office.

His defence counsel, Dimitri Mchedlishvili, confirmed that his client had cooperated with investigators from the very outset of the inquiry.

“We have reviewed the plea agreement motion, and the terms are as follows: four years suspended, a 10,000-lari fine, and a one-year prohibition on public service. These are the current conditions. The court has fifteen days from the date of submission to consider the motion. He admitted the charges and cooperated with the investigation from the beginning. Having reviewed the case materials, we concluded that this was the only correct path, the only viable strategy for protecting his interests in the circumstances, and so we pursued it,” said Mchedlishvili.

As for the prosecution’s position, Ani Lekiashvili, the prosecutor at the hearing, stated that the principal basis for seeking a plea agreement solely in Ghudushauri’s case was his cooperation with investigators and the positions he adopted in court proceedings. She also made clear that this decision would not be revisited before the conclusion of the substantive hearing at first instance.

“At today’s hearing, the prosecution delivered its closing argument, in which it called for Juansher Burchuladze, Vasil Mkheidze, and Giorgi Khaindrava to be found guilty of the acts with which they are charged. The plea agreement concluded with Vladimer Ghudushauri was also presented. In reaching its decisions, the prosecution took into account the circumstances of the case, the conduct of each defendant, and the statements they had made. Each defendant was considered individually. In Ghudushauri’s case, particular weight was given to his cooperation, including at the investigation stage, and to the statements he made in court. The prosecution has called for a guilty verdict against all defendants except Ghudushauri, that is, against Burchuladze, Mkheidze, and Khaindrava. This means the decision will not change before the conclusion of the substantive hearing at first instance. Accordingly, the prosecution is seeking their conviction on the charges brought against them and the imposition of a just sentence,” the prosecutor explained.

For the record, Burchuladze faces charges under Article 194(3)(c) and Article 332(2) of the Criminal Code, covering abuse of official authority and the legalisation of unlawful income, offences carrying a custodial sentence of between nine and twelve years.

In total, he is alleged to have laundered 1,593,212 lari in unlawful and unjustified income. According to the indictment, in 2023, Burchuladze, acting in concert with his deputy, a relative, and the former head of the Defence Ministry’s procurement department, supplied a military hospital with medical equipment at an inflated price of 3,940,000 lari against a true value of 2,606,272 lari, thereby causing the Ministry a financial loss of 1,333,728 lari.

Furthermore, in March 2025, Burchuladze and his wife purchased a property in Spain for EUR 544,000. In order to conceal the origin of those funds and lend the transaction an appearance of legitimacy, they drew up a fictitious sale-and-purchase agreement for a property in Tskneti with a third party.

Ghudushauri and Khaindrava face charges of large-scale embezzlement, whilst Mkheidze is charged with aiding and abetting the same. All three are accused of embezzling substantial sums belonging to the Georgian Defence Ministry, acting as a premeditated group and exploiting their official positions. These charges carry sentences of between seven and eleven years in prison. Ghudushauri has been released on bail.