The Tbilisi City Court is currently deliberating on the imposition of a preventive measure against former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. Judge Eka Barbakadze is presiding over the case.

Irakli Garibashvili is present at today’s proceedings.

The former Prime Minister declined to comment to journalists before the start of the hearing, but may choose to speak to the media afterwards.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia has requested a bail of one million Georgian lari as a preventive measure for the former Prime Minister. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, this can be secured either through cash or real estate. In addition, they are demanding that the accused be subject to further obligations, such as handing over his Georgian passport to the authorities and refraining from travelling outside the country.

The Prosecutor’s Office states that “Irakli Garibashvili has been charged under Article 194, Part 3, Subparagraph ‘g’ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to the legalisation of illegal income obtained through the receipt of a particularly large sum of money. The accused has fully pleaded guilty to the charges.”

For context, 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.