Georgia’s former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has pleaded guilty under a plea agreement reached with the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, resulting in a five-year prison sentence and a fine of one million lari (approximately $370,000), the prosecution service announced.
According to the statement, the plea deal was concluded in connection with charges brought under Article 194, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns the legalization (laundering) of illegal proceeds on an especially large scale. In addition to the prison term and fine, funds seized during a search of Garibashvili’s residence – allegedly obtained through criminal activity – will be confiscated in favor of the state.
The Prosecutor’s Office said Garibashvili admitted to the offence and agreed to the terms of the agreement. The court has already approved the prosecution’s motion endorsing the plea deal.
Earlier in the proceedings, on October 24, the Tbilisi City Court imposed bail of one million lari on the former prime minister as a preventive measure in the case related to the laundering of particularly large sums of illicit income.
The case followed a briefing held on October 22 by the State Security Service of Georgia, during which it was reported that Garibashvili had been questioned at the Anti-Corruption Agency. At that time, officials stated that he had fully cooperated with the investigation and admitted to receiving illegal income over a number of years.
Garibashvili was formally charged under Article 194, Part 3, Subparagraph “c” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which addresses the legalization of illegal proceeds accompanied by the receipt of income in an especially large amount.
