Defence procurement case: lawyers seek plea deals for former officials

The defence team of Vladimir Gudushauri, former head of the Procurement Department at Georgia’s Ministry of Defence, on Thursday said he would seek a plea agreement in the ongoing case, leaving the final decision to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.

Speaking to the media, lawyer Dimitri Mchedlishvili said that the defence planned to formally request a plea deal before the prosecution delivered its closing arguments, scheduled for April 8.

“Our request will be to conclude the case through a plea agreement. We will likely seek a suspended sentence. As for damages, based on what has emerged during the trial, no direct damage was caused by Gudushauri himself,” Mchedlishvili said.

He added that consultations with his client regarding potential compensation were ongoing, but stressed that a non-custodial sentence would be preferable.

“It is better for a person to receive a suspended sentence than imprisonment. Ultimately, the decision rests with the prosecution, but our position is to resolve the case through a plea agreement,” he noted.

Plea agreements are also being sought by other defendants in the case, including former Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, his former deputy Giorgi Khaindrava, and his brother-in-law Vasil Mkheidze.

According to their lawyers, formal requests for plea agreements have already been submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office.