Georgia slaps new bribery charge on jailed ex - PM

TBILISI, August 24 – Georgian prosecutors on Monday charged former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili with taking 750,000 GEL of bribes in relation to secret Defense Ministry purchases. The Prosecutor General’s Office said the case concerns three classified procurements in 2022 for medical equipment and supplies needed by the Defense Ministry. Garibashvili was prime minister at the time. According to prosecutors, companies linked to the scheme supplied goods and services worth 11.5 million GEL to the ministry for almost 18.5 million GEL, causing the state an estimated loss of 6.99 million GEL.