Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was formally charged on 24 October 2025 with large-scale money-laundering, marking the first time a senior member of Georgia’s ruling elite has faced prosecution as part of the government’s sweeping crackdown.
The case is highly significant in Georgian politics because it represents a departure from prior practice: while opposition figures have long been targets of prosecutions, popular figures that still in the rulling circle are rarely charged for wrongdoings.
Prosecutors say Garibashvili “secretly and covertly engaged in various types of business activities and received large amounts of income of illegal origin” while serving as defence minister (2019-21) and then as prime minister (2021-24).
Authorities report that during a search of his home, US$6.5 million in cash was found and seized.
The offence, legalised under Georgian law as “legalising a large amount of income,” carries a possible sentence of nine to twelve years’ imprisonment.
A court has set bail at GEL 1 million (approx. US$369 000) and imposed travel restrictions including passport surrender.
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Garibashvili served as prime minister from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2024. He is known as a long-time ally of billionaire and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely viewed as Georgia’s de facto power broker.
The investigation and raid—on 17 October 2025—also targeted two other associates of Ivanishvili, showing how tightly the investigation is also revolving around members of the ruling network.
Meanwhile, Georgia still remains in the spotlight for other political tensions: the governing party, Georgian Dream, has been accused by opponents of drifting away from pro-Western policies and adopting pro-Russian stances, even though Georgia has no formal diplomatic ties with Russia.
Irakli Garibashvili has not issued any public statement or comment regarding the allegations since the charges were announced. His legal team has also stayed quiet on the evidence presented so far, leaving unanswered questions about how he intends to defend himself. Court documents show that his next hearing is set for 16 December 2025, when prosecutors are expected to outline further details of the money-laundering case and the judge will review the conditions of his release.