Juansher Burchuladze

Juansher Burchuladze, who served as Georgia's Minister of Defense from 2021 to 2024, was convicted by the Tbilisi City Court and sentenced to 10 years in prison for abuse of official authority and legalisation of illegal income. The court found him guilty of orchestrating a scheme in 2023 to inflate the procurement cost of medical equipment, specifically an MRI machine, by over 1.3 million GEL, causing financial damage to the Ministry. He was also convicted of laundering approximately 1.59 million GEL by concealing the illicit origin of funds used to purchase property in Spain through fictitious real estate deals and failing to declare the foreign assets. The court ordered the confiscation of his assets, including property in Spain and Tskneti, and banned him from holding public office for two years. Associates including former deputy Giorgi Khaindrava and brother-in-law Vasil Mkheidze received eight-year sentences, while former procurement head Vladimir Gudushauri received a suspended sentence following a plea agreement. Burchuladze consistently denied the charges throughout the proceedings.