Georgian former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili stands accused of laundering approximately $6.5 million (€5.58 million). On Friday, October 25th a court released him on bail of 1 million Georgian lari (approximately $368,000 or €316,000), ordered the seizure of his passport, and prohibited him from leaving the country.
Following the alleged money laundering, authorities have seized millions of dollars worth of assets—including real estate and vehicles—for which the defendant reportedly attempted to ‘wash’ this illegal income by exploiting his political position.
According to a statement from the Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office, Garibashvili has fully admitted his guilt.
According to the indictment, Garibashvili, who served as PM from 2013 to 2015 and from 2021 to 2024, as well as defence minister from 2019 to 2021, secretly engaged in business activities and obtained income from illegal sources while holding political office. He allegedly attempted to legalise this income with false statements, for example, by claiming that he received significant gifts from family members each year.
During the investigation, it was reveald that two cars were purchased and registered under an acquaintance’s name, and a real estate company was acquired with the involvement of family members.
In addition to Garibashvili, the investigation also involves other high-ranking officials, including the former head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili, and the former prosecutor general, Otar Partskhaladze.
Previously, Georgia has worked to meet its European Union accession criteria, but Brussels’ loathes its sovereigntist political leadership. Local elections were recently held in the country, accompanied by protests and the attempted storming of the presidential palace.
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