Ex-Georgian PM Garibashvili Admits Guilt in Multi-Million Laundering Case

Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has confessed to extensive money laundering, a stunning admission that has sent ripples through the nation’s political landscape. While his plea of guilt allowed him to avoid immediate arrest, he now faces a potential prison sentence ranging from nine to fifteen years. The ruling “Georgian Dream” party, once Garibashvili’s political home, has expressed sympathy but appears unwilling to intervene on behalf of their former colleague as the legal process unfolds.

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Garibashvili illicitly amassed and legalized substantial wealth during his tenure as both Defense Minister and head of government from 2019 to 2024. Investigators claim he “secretly and under cover” engaged in various business activities, generating significant undeclared income. To obscure the origins of these funds, he reportedly filed false financial declarations, asserting that family members received large annual monetary gifts. Through this method, he is accused of laundering approximately 830,000 Georgian Lari (GEL), equivalent to over $300,000 USD.

The scope of the alleged financial misconduct extends further. Prosecutors contend that to legitimize his ill-gotten gains, Garibashvili acquired and registered two vehicles worth 463,630 GEL (approximately $171,000 USD) in the name of an associated individual between 2023 and 2024. Additionally, through a family member, he reportedly purchased a company owning real estate for 210,000 GEL (about $77,000 USD). This same entity subsequently attracted investments exceeding 3.6 million GEL (over $1.3 million USD). Adding to the gravity of the charges, a search of Garibashvili’s apartment allegedly uncovered and seized an astonishing $6.5 million USD in cash.

Following his full admission of guilt, Garibashvili was not immediately detained. Instead, the prosecution sought, and the Georgian court approved, his release on a bail of 1 million GEL, which can be secured by either cash or property. His passport has been confiscated to prevent him from leaving the country, and the judicial proceedings are slated to continue in December. His legal team emphasized that Garibashvili did not provide testimony implicating other officials or suggest any broader criminal conspiracy or “economic terrorism.”

This is not the first time Garibashvili’s family wealth has drawn scrutiny from government critics. During his previous premiership, he famously dismissed allegations by claiming his 73-year-old father, a “talented entrepreneur,” was the source of multi-million-dollar earnings from winemaking, despite his father not filing any declarations. Currently, the ruling “Georgian Dream” party is treading carefully. Kakha Kaladze, Secretary General of the party and Mayor of Tbilisi, expressed regret over the situation, advocating for patience until the investigation’s conclusion. He remarked, “It is very sad and regrettable when we hear such statements about a former comrade… Let’s wait for the answers, let’s wait to see how the investigation will be conducted and how it will conclude, and then draw conclusions – doing so in advance is wrong and inappropriate.”

Political analyst Nino Skvortsova suggests that Garibashvili’s case illuminates deeper rifts within “Georgian Dream.” She notes that discussions about internal party discord intensified after his initial departure from politics for the private sector, and gained new momentum following the arrests of a former defense minister and several members of Garibashvili’s team. Skvortsova recalls that Garibashvili faced corruption suspicions even during his first term but managed to transition to private business smoothly. His return in 2021 was seen as a move to re-consolidate the party around “traditional values and national interests” after Prime Minister Gakharia’s resignation. The reasons for his second departure remain murky, but the current scandal, according to Skvortsova, signals significant shifts within the party structure.

Skvortsova posits that the ongoing legal battle has both a legal and a political dimension. While legally it will be a complex process, the political context is multifaceted. Garibashvili is now being linked to alleged embezzlement from party funds, involvement in informal schemes, and even “revolutionary” scenarios against the current government. This, she argues, points not to an “elite split” but rather to a strategic “renewal” within “Georgian Dream,” as the party seeks to distance itself from “toxic figures” to protect its brand integrity. For Garibashvili, this implies that despite his cooperation with the investigation, he is unlikely to escape a real prison sentence, though his cooperation might mitigate its length.