In recent times, investigations against high-ranking officials, their arrests and subsequent release on bail have raised many questions: is this a genuine fight against elite corruption, or an internal clan confrontation within the Georgian Dream, in which party honorary chair Bidzina Ivanishvili and his newly appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze are sidelining former party members under the guise of combating corruption?

Transparency International Georgia has examined the ongoing investigations and the individuals involved. As a result, it has become apparent that those under investigation are mainly members of patronage networks, i.e. clans, associated either with the former head of the State Security Service, Grigol Liluashvili, or with former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.

Over the years, corruption allegations have also accumulated against many other high-ranking officials, yet investigative bodies have not addressed those cases. The fact is that the investigations have selectively targeted specific former high-ranking officials of the Georgian Dream.

Therefore, it is evident that there is a confrontation between clans within the ruling party and that investigative agencies are being used for this purpose.

It remains unclear exactly why Bidzina Ivanishvili has turned against his former subordinates. In recent months, many versions have circulated attempting to explain this process, whether it be:

• Ivanishvili’s suspicion that Liluashvili and/or Gharibashvili managed to reach an understanding with Western representatives and negotiate guarantees for themselves;
• their alleged involvement in scam call-center schemes, drug trafficking networks or other forms of organized crime;
• or Ivanishvili’s attempt to offset financial losses caused by Western sanctions by reclaiming resources from individuals who enriched themselves through corruption that he had tolerated for years.

At present, there is no publicly available evidence to determine the exact reason. However, one thing is clear - this is not a fight against corruption.

The Grigol Liluashvili Clan

Since June 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has launched 8 investigations involving individuals linked to Grigol Liluashvili. Most of them held positions in the same ministries and state institutions between 2019 and 2025, during the period when Liluashvili was in office.

The investigations concern the collapse of a bridge on the Grigoleti road, which caused damages exceeding 16 million GEL; the “Lagi Capital” case, with damages of 11 million GEL; and the illegal production of alcohol. As a result of searches, approximately USD 1.4 million was seized from one of the defendants’ residences and an additional case involving the misappropriation of more than 4 million GEL is also under investigation. In total, the estimated damage exceeds 32 million GEL.

1.Grigol Liluashvili

Position: Former Head of the State Security Service of Georgia

Allegations: Not specified. However, on 24 October 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office announced that searches had been conducted at the residences of Grigol Liluashvili (as well as former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and former Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze) and persons connected to them. During the searches, cash was seized from various locations totaling USD 7,002,200 and GEL 136,000, along with 198 pieces of jewelry and watches, expensive paintings, several thousand pages of documentation, 50 mobile phones, and 119 electronic devices. The State Security Service released visual materials showing the seized cash and gold items but did not specify to whom the property belonged.

Status: Search conducted.

2.Irakli Karseladze – Grigol Liluashvili’s best man and former classmate

Position: Former Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure

Allegations: Not specified.

Status: Search conducted.

3.Koba Gabunia

Position: Former Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure during Irakli Karseladze’s tenure

Allegations: Abuse of official authority - accomplice in the “Lagi Capital” case.

The “Lagi Capital” Case: In 2023, the Municipal Development Fund announced tenders for the design and construction of 30 kindergartens, which were won by Lagi Capital. The company failed to properly carry out the works; nevertheless, more than GEL 11,2 million was transferred to it in advance payments. Of this amount, approximately GEL 9,36 million was illegally misappropriated by company executives.

Status: Detained.

4.Davit Tabidze

Position: Executive Director of the LEPL Municipal Development Fund of Georgia (a structure subordinate to the Ministry of Infrastructure) during Karseladze’s tenure.

Allegations: Abuse of official authority – accomplice in the “Lagi Capital” case; embezzlement of more than GEL 11 million.

Status: Released on bail of GEL 300,000.

5.Levan Kupatashvili

Position: Former Deputy Head of the Roads Department (2018–2021) during Karseladze’s time in office

Allegations: Abuse of official position; large-scale embezzlement; abuse of official authority – accomplice in the Grigoleti road bridge collapse case.

The Grigoleti Bridge Collapse Case: In 2018, a contract was signed with company Akkord for the construction of an 11,5 km section of the Samtredia–Grigoleti road and bridges, with supervision provided by an international consortium. During the project, supervisory experts were not present in Georgia at all; nevertheless, completion certificates were falsely approved in their name and signed by then-Deputy Head of the Roads Department, Levan Kupatashvili.

Based on these falsified approvals, GEL 1,17 million was transferred to the supervisory company, while Akkord fraudulently received GEL 3,86 million for uncompleted or substandard work. As a result, the bridge collapsed, and restoration works required an additional over GEL 12 million. In total, the state budget suffered damages exceeding GEL 16 million.

Status: Detained.

6.Vladimer Khundadze

Position: Grigol Liluashvili’s best man; former Deputy Head of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance

Allegations: Abuse of official authority – illegal production of alcoholic beverages. In a specially equipped facility, more than 75,000 bottles of alcoholic beverages bearing trademarks of various foreign brands were produced, with a total value exceeding several million GEL.

Status: Detained.

7.Koba Khundadze – Brother of Vladimer Khundadze

Allegations: Money laundering – legalization of especially large amounts of unjustified income between 2017 and 2025. To legitimize illicit funds, he purchased land and real estate in Tbilisi and invested in his own companies. As a result, 30 real estate properties were registered in his or his company’s name, and 51 properties were registered as capital of his construction company.

Status: Detained; USD 1,319,300 was seized during a house search.

8.Andria Liluashvili – Cousin of Grigol Liluashvili

Allegations: Not specified.

Status: Search conducted.

9.Bichiko Paikidze – Relative of Grigol Liluashvili; Georgian Dream MP in the Vani Municipal Council

Allegations: Large-scale fraud and preparation/use of forged official documents. According to the State Security Service, Paikidze used his company B.P. TRANS to misappropriate budget funds. An investigation is ongoing into the fraudulent acquisition of GEL 4,184,249 belonging to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Status: Not present in Georgia; charged in absentia.

The Irakli Gharibashvili Clan

Since June 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office has launched 6 investigations involving individuals linked to Irakli Gharibashvili. Most of them held positions in the same ministries and state institutions between 2019 and 2025, during Gharibashvili’s time in office.

The investigations concern:

• the procurement of medical equipment for a military hospital, which caused damage to the state amounting to GEL 1,333,728;
• the illegal production of non-excise cigarettes;
• and cases of unjustified income involving Irakli Gharibashvili and Romeo Mikautadze.

1.Irakli Gharibashvili

Position: Former Prime Minister / Former Minister of Defence / Former Minister of Internal Affairs

Allegations:

• Money laundering and concealment of the origin of income;
• Illegal entrepreneurial activity by a public official;
• Large-scale illegal income;
• Submission of false information in asset declarations to conceal income;
• Laundering of GEL 830,000;
• To legitimize unjustified assets, he purchased two vehicles worth GEL 463,630, registering them in the name of a person connected to him, and acquired 100% ownership of a company for GEL 210,000 through a family member; the company owned real estate.

The main portion of the unjustified funds - USD 6,5 million - was seized from his residence during a search.

Status: Released on bail of GEL 1 million.

2.Romeo Mikautadze – Member of Irakli Gharibashvili’s team

Position: Former Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development

Allegations: Abuse of official authority by a holder of a state-political position;
Money laundering; Exceeding official authority; Illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity. He purchased real estate in Spain using EUR 600,000 in illegal income and registered it in the name of a family member; additionally, two vehicles worth up to GEL 1 million were registered in the names of trusted persons connected to him and his family.

Status: Detained.

3.Juansher Burchuladze – Irakli Gharibashvili’s best man and former classmate

Position: Former Minister of Defence

Allegations: Abuse of official authority by a holder of a state-political position; Money laundering. The charges relate to the procurement of an MRI machine for a military hospital and concealment of property - specifically, failure to declare a house and land plot purchased in Spain for EUR 544,000.

The MRI Procurement Case: The Ministry of Defence purchased a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for a military hospital. According to the investigation, a deliberately non-competitive environment was created, resulting in damage to the state budget of GEL 1,333,728. The MRI machine was purchased for GEL 3,940,000 instead of GEL 2,606,272.

Status: Detained.

4.Giorgi Khaindrava

Position: Former Deputy Minister of Defence during Juansher Burchuladze’s tenure

Allegations: Embezzlement of large sums belonging to the Ministry of Defence of Georgia by a group acting in prior agreement and using official position; Aiding and abetting embezzlement; Participation in the MRI procurement case.

Status: Detained.

5.Vladimer Ghudushauri

Position: Head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Defence during Burchuladze’s tenure

Allegations: Embezzlement of large sums belonging to the Ministry of Defence by a group acting in prior agreement and using official position; Aiding and abetting embezzlement; Participation in the MRI procurement case.

Status: Bail of GEL 10,000.

6.Vasil Mkheidze – Brother-in-law of Juansher Burchuladze

Allegations: Production, storage, sale, or transportation of excisable goods without excise stamps; Production of non-excise cigarettes.

The Non-Excise Cigarette Case: Large-scale production and distribution of non-excise tobacco products. The investigation uncovered 323,851 packs of non-excise cigarettes worth GEL 2,176,341, along with relevant equipment and raw materials.

Status: Detained.

7.Nugzar Tsabaurashvili – Member of Juansher Burchuladze’s personal security

Allegations: Production, storage, sale or transportation of excisable goods without excise stamps; Production of non-excise cigarettes.

Status: Detained.