Tbilisi City Court sentences ex-Defence Minister Juanser Burchuladze to 10 years, orders asset seizure

Tbilisi City Court on Thursday sentenced former defence minister Juanser Burchuladze to 10 years in prison and banned him from holding public office for two years. The court also ordered the confiscation of assets linked to Burchuladze, including a land plot and house in Spain, as well as a house and parking space in the settlement of Tskneti.

Under the same ruling, former deputy defence minister Giorgi Khaindrava was sentenced to eight years in prison. Vasil Mkheidze, Burchuladze’s brother-in-law, also received an eight-year sentence.

Meanwhile, the former head of the defense ministry’s Procurement Department, Vladimir Gudushauri, who was detained alongside Burchuladze, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors several weeks ago. Under the deal, Gudushauri received a four-year suspended sentence, a fine of ₾10,000 ($3,700), and a one-year restriction on holding public service positions.

At today’s hearing, final statements were delivered by defendants Juanser Burchuladze and Giorgi Khaindrava before the verdict was announced.

Burchuladze had been charged under Article 194 (part 3, subparagraph “g”) and Article 332 (part 2) of the Criminal Code, involving abuse of official authority and legalisation of illegal income. These charges carry a sentence of 9 to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors accused Burchuladze of legalising ₾1,593,212 GEL ( $589,000) in illegal and unsubstantiated income.

According to the prosecution, in 2023 Burchuladze, with the assistance of his deputy, a relative, and the former head of the defence ministry’s procurement department, supplied medical equipment to a military hospital for ₾ 3,940,000 ( $1.46 million) instead of ₾ 2,606,272 ($964,000), causing financial damage to the ministry amounting to ₾ 1,333,728 ( $493,000).

Investigators also stated that in March 2025 Burchuladze and his spouse purchased property in Spain for € 544,000. To conceal the origin of the funds, they allegedly signed a fictitious sale agreement involving real estate in Tskneti with a third party to give the transaction a legal appearance.

Gudushauri and Khaindrava were accused of large-scale embezzlement, while Mkheidze faced charges of aiding embezzlement and influence peddling. Prosecutors said the defendants, acting as a group and using their official positions, misappropriated large sums belonging to the ministry of defence. The charges carried potential prison sentences ranging from seven to eleven years.