Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison in a high-profile money laundering case, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said on Monday that Gharibashvili, who pleaded guilty, reached an agreement in exchange for a reduced jail sentence, which had been approved by the court. He had faced a possible sentence of 9 to 12 years on charges of money laundering involving particularly large sums.
According to the statement, Gharibashvili was also fined ₾1 million ($370,000). The Prosecutor General’s Office also said money ‘obtained through criminal activity and seized during a search of his residence’ would also be confiscated.
Following a raid on his home and several other locations in October, the security services claimed to have seized over $7 million in cash as well as jewellery and other valuables.
According to Publika, at the time the Prosecutor General’s Office released its statement, Gharibashvili’s trial was still underway at the Tbilisi City Court. TV Pirveli reported before that the session was originally scheduled for 12 February but was unexpectedly moved up to Monday.
A prominent figure of the ruling Georgian Dream party who departed from politics only in April 2025, Gharibashvili has served twice as Prime Minister — in 2013–2015 and 2021–2024 — and was Defence Minister between 2019 and 2021.
Investigations into Gharibashvili and other former senior officials became public in mid-March 2025, when the State Security Service (SSG) announced searches of their residences. That same month, the former prime minister was formally charged and released on a ₾1 million ($370,000) bail.
According to the investigation, Gharibashvili, during his tenure as Defence Minister and his second term as Prime Minister, ‘secretly and covertly engaged in various business activities and received particularly large sums of income of illegal origin’.
The Prosecutor’s Office added that, in order to legalise the aforementioned illegal income, he provided false information in the asset declarations submitted in connection with his position.
The investigation targeting Gharibashvili came amidst investigations and detentions of several former officials from Gharibashvili’s tenure. In September, former Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze was arrested on corruption charges, which was preceded by the detentions of two former deputy ministers.
In late December, the Prosecutor General’s Office also announced the detention of Grigol Liluashvili, the former head of the SSG, on bribery charges. His residence was also searched, along with Gharibashvili’s, in October.
Members of the ruling Georgian Dream party have insisted the arrests were part of a fight against corruption, even if the case involved a current or former ally.
However, critics including opposition figures and civil society activists have expressed doubt the government was genuine about combating corruption, instead suggesting it could be part of a power struggle within the ruling party.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
