Georgia: Spectacular downfall of ex-PM accused of having $6.5m in his flat

Irakli Garibashvili, who was a loyal lieutenant of Georgia's de facto leader, is accused of corruption.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveSpectacular downfall of Georgia's ex-PM accused of having $6.5m in his flat24 hours agoShareSaveRayhan DemytrieCaucasus correspondentShareSaveAnadolu via Getty ImagesUntil recently Irakli Garibashvili (L) was a loyal lieutenant of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili (R), seen as Georgia's de facto leaderGeorgia's former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has appeared in court charged with large-scale money laundering - a shocking turnaround for one of the most loyal allies of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely seen as Georgia's de facto leader.

Prosecutors said when his home was raided by investigators earlier this month they discovered $6.5m (£4.9m) in cash.

Garibashvili, 43, twice served as prime minister during the Ivanishvili years – first from 2013-15 and then again from 2021 until January last year.

Now he has pleaded guilty to corruption charges that could carry a 12-year jail term and he has been granted bail of one million Georgian lari ($368,000; £277,000).

The charges against the former prime minister are the latest in a string of detentions of ex-government officials.