Former Georgian Prime Minister Garibashvili Sentenced to Five Years in Prison in Money Laundering Case

Former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison following a plea agreement announced by the Prosecutor General’s Office on January 12 in connection with a serious money laundering case. In addition to the prison term, Garibashvili was fined GEL 1 million, or approximately USD 270,000, and authorities will confiscate cash seized from his residence that they say was obtained illegally.

Without the plea deal, Garibashvili had been facing a potential sentence of between nine and twelve years in prison. He was formally charged with serious money laundering in October, when the court ordered him to post bail of GEL 1 million, roughly USD 370,000. At that time, the State Security Service said he had admitted to receiving illicit income. As part of the pretrial restrictions, Garibashvili was prohibited from leaving the country and his passport was confiscated.

Garibashvili served two terms as Georgia’s prime minister, first from 2013 to 2015 and later from 2021 to 2024. He was widely regarded as one of the closest allies of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party. He was succeeded as prime minister by Irakli Kobakhidze in February 2024 and subsequently became chairman of Georgian Dream. Garibashvili exited both the party and active politics in April 2025.

The criminal case against Garibashvili emerged amid a broader wave of prosecutions tied to an anti-corruption campaign launched by Georgian Dream that has targeted former officials and business figures associated with the ruling party. Authorities have said they seized more than USD 7 million in cash and valuables from dozens of residences belonging to former officials, including Garibashvili.

The crackdown has also reached other senior figures. On December 23, law enforcement arrested Grigol Liluashvili, a former head of the State Security Service who held the post until April 2025. Liluashvili has been charged with bribery and faces a possible prison sentence ranging from 11 to 15 years.

Critics of the government, however, argue that the campaign is not a genuine effort to combat corruption. They contend that the arrests and prosecutions of former officials instead lay bare alleged internal rivalries within Georgian Dream, as well as acts of political retribution and struggles for power inside the ruling elite.

By fLEXI tEAM