Georgia'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.
