Georgia: Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili Charged with Accepting a Bribe | CUAC

Civil Union – Follow-up Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office on Monday brought a new charge against former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili for allegedly accepting a bribe, as part of a broader corruption case involving a procurement deal for the Georgian Ministry of Defence. According to Civil Georgia, authorities accuse Garibashvili of accepting a bribe as part of a scheme that allegedly caused losses to public funds estimated at around 7 million Georgian lari, equivalent to approximately $2.7 million. The case concerns a tender held in 2022, when Garibashvili was serving as prime minister, for the supply of medical equipment and supplies to the Ministry of Defence. Prosecutors allege that the tender conditions were manipulated in favor of a specific company in exchange for receiving a percentage of the contract’s value. Garibashvili, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in a money-laundering case, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the new charges. Source: Civil Georgia