Former Georgian PM sentenced to five years after plea deal

Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison in a case concerning the legalization of illegal income, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia announced on Facebook.

Garibashvili reached a plea agreement with prosecutors under which he was convicted under Article 194 of the Georgian Criminal Code. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered him to pay a fine of one million lari (approximately $375,000). The court accepted the prosecution’s recommendation to approve the plea agreement, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“Irakli Garibashvili has admitted his guilt and agreed to the terms of the procedural agreement,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.

Garibashvili first served as Prime Minister from 2013 until 2015. He returned to the cabinet in 2019 as Minister of Defence and was reappointed Prime Minister by the Georgian Parliament in 2021. In January 2024, he stepped down from the position and was subsequently elected chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, succeeding Irakli Kobakhidze, who assumed the premiership.

By Vafa Guliyeva