The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has brought charges against the country’s former Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili. Prosecutors are seeking bail of one million lari as a preventive measure.

At a briefing held at the Prosecutor’s Office, Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze stated that the case involves the laundering of illicit proceeds on an exceptionally large scale.

“An investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Department of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) has established that Irakli Garibashvili, who held the positions of Georgia’s Minister of Defence and Prime Minister between 2019 and 2024 and was thus a public official holding a state-political office, was prohibited from engaging in any form of business activity or receiving any remuneration other than his official salary under the Law of Georgia on Combating Corruption.

Despite this prohibition, during his time in office, Irakli Garibashvili clandestinely and covertly engaged in various business activities and has been receiving illicit income on a remarkably large scale. As a public official, he was obliged to declare both his income and expenditure.

In an attempt to launder the proceeds of his illegal activities, he provided false information in his asset declarations, claiming that he received substantial sums of money annually as gifts from a family member. By doing so, he artificially fabricated a source for part of the substantial sum, 830,000 lari, obtained through his illegal involvement in private business, thereby integrating it into the legal financial system.

Furthermore, Irakli Garibashvili purchased and registered two motor vehicles, valued at GEL 463,630, in the name of an associate between 2023 and 2024 to give a lawful appearance to his unexplained wealth. Additionally, through a family member, he acquired a 100% shareholding in a company for GEL 210,000, which owned immovable property.

Concurrently, a total of GEL 3,670,172 was invested in a limited liability company registered in the name of his family member. At the same time, the majority of the unexplained funds were converted into foreign currency in an attempt to conceal their true nature and source. As a result, 6.5 million US dollars obtained through this conversion were discovered and seized during a search of Garibashvili’s flat on October 17, 2025.

For the aforementioned actions, Irakli Garibashvili has been charged under Article 194, Part 3, Subparagraph ‘g’ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to the laundering of illicit proceeds accompanied by the receipt of income on an exceptionally large scale. The accused has pleaded guilty in full to the charges brought against him,” Giorgi Gvarakidze has stated.

According to the agency, the Prosecutor’s Office will petition the court within the statutory timeframe to impose bail of one million lari as a preventive measure, which may be secured either in cash or immovable property.

“In addition to the preventive measure, the Prosecutor’s Office will seek to impose further obligations on the accused, including handing over his Georgian citizen’s passport to law enforcement authorities and a prohibition on leaving the country. The criminal investigation is ongoing, stated Giorgi Gvarakidze.

On October 17, residences belonging to former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, former Head of the State Security Service of Georgia Grigol Liluashvili, former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhladze, and individuals associated with them were searched. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, various electronic devices, documentation and large sums of cash were seized.

During a briefing held at the State Security Service on October 22, it was announced that former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had been questioned at the Anti-Corruption Agency. He cooperated fully with the investigation and admitted to receiving illegal income over the years.

It should be noted that Irakli Garibashvili first served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2015. He stepped down on December 30, 2015, and returned to government in 2019 as Minister of Defence. Two years later, in February 2021, Georgia’s Parliament confirmed him as Prime Minister. He left the office of Prime Minister on January 29, 2024.