Georgian detains former deputy health minister for abuse of power

The Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia has detained former Deputy Minister of Health Ilia Gudushauri on allegations of abuse of official powers.

According to Gudushauri’s lawyer, he has been transferred to a pretrial detention facility.

The Investigation Service reports that while serving as head of the Health Ministry’s tender commission, Gudushauri artificially terminated a 2022 tender for the purchase of ambulances, despite the tender having already produced a winning bidder.

Following his instructions, a new tender was announced in 2023, with conditions reportedly tailored to favor a specific company. The ministry subsequently paid the company 2.1 million Georgian lari ($780,600) without justification, the Investigation Service said.

Gudushauri served as Deputy Minister of Health from January 2022 to March 2024.

By Vafa Guliyeva