Georgia’s Ex-Deputy Health Minister Arrested on Abuse of Power Allegations

2026-01-27 - 11:50

Ilia Ghudushauri, Georgia’s former deputy health minister, was arrested on allegations of abusing his official authority in connection with a state procurement tender in 2022, the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance reported on January 27. Ghudushauri’s arrest marks the latest case in a wider crackdown on former Georgian Dream officials, particularly those who served under ex-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is himself currently serving a five-year prison sentence following a plea deal in a major money-laundering case. According to Guga Tavberidze, deputy head of the Investigative Service, the case relates to a tender announced on September 27, 2022, for the purchase of ambulance vehicles for the Emergency Situations Coordination and Urgent Assistance Center. Tavberidze said that three companies participated, with one offering the lowest bid of GEL 8,523,876 (about USD 3.2 million). Ghudushauri, who concurrently served as Chairperson of the Ministry’s Procurement Tender Commission, instructed the cancellation of the tender to favor another company, Tavberidze said. “On May 10, 2023, at his instruction, a new tender was announced, the terms of which were tailored to one specific bidder, as a result of which other companies were unable to participate,” the official added, noting that it resulted in the ministry unjustifiably paying GEL 2,138,196 GEL (about USD 795 ,000) to the pre-selected company, causing “significant damage to the lawful interests of the state.” The investigation is underway under Article 332 of the criminal code of Georgia, covering abuse of official authority. Ghudushauri served as deputy health minister from 2022 until March 2024, working under then-minister Zurab Azarashvili. He previously held