TBILISI, October 24 – Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been formally charged with large-scale money laundering.
According to prosecutors, Garibashvili is accused under Article 194 of Georgia’s Criminal Code of legalizing illicit income involving particularly large sums. Prosecutors said he pleaded guilty to the charges, though the former premier has not yet commented publicly, Rezonansi reported.
The case has sent shockwaves through the political establishment, as Garibashvili, a longtime ally of ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and former Georgian Dream chairman, was one of the country’s most powerful figures until he stepped down earlier this year.
Officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party have largely avoided commenting. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, one of Garibashvili’s closest political allies, said he was saddened by the allegations but insisted on waiting for the investigation to conclude. “It is very unfortunate to hear such statements about a former teammate,” Kaladze said. “I have known Irakli for many years, and I am deeply sorry. Let’s wait for the investigation to finish and the relevant agencies to make their decisions.”
Dimitri Khundadze, a member of the ruling party’s spinoff faction People’s Power, called the case “painful but necessary,” saying that “everyone is equal before the law.”
The opposition, meanwhile, is divided between those who see the case as a genuine step toward accountability and those who dismiss it as political theater. Irakli Pavlenishvili of the United National Movement called the affair “a disgrace,” saying that “it is impossible for someone who robbed the Georgian people to be spared prison.” He accused the government of selective justice, punishing protesters while protecting political elites.
Zaza Tavadze, from the For Georgia party led by another former prime minister, Giorgi Gakharia, said the alleged USD 7.5 million in question “is only the tip of the iceberg.” He argued the prosecution was meant to create an illusion of an anti-corruption drive. “This is a show to make Georgian Dream look uncompromising against corruption,” he said, “but they cannot even do that properly.”
Irakli Kupradze from the Strong Georgia – Lelo alliance said the severity of Garibashvili’s punishment would depend on “how the internal power struggle is resolved” within Georgian Dream. “These people, Garibashvili, Kobakhidze, Ivanishvili, have all been together for years, involved in many of the same scandals. Whether the sanctions against Garibashvili are soft or harsh will depend on their behind-the-scenes negotiations,” he said.
Garibashvili, who first became prime minister in 2013 at age 31 and returned to the post in 2021, was long seen as one of Ivanishvili’s most loyal political lieutenants. His fall from grace comes at a time when Georgia is facing international scrutiny over corruption and the rule of law — issues central to its strained relations with the European Union.
