Scandalous Confession of Businessman

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Ltd Giorgi 3, one of the large companies in Sighnaghi region has stopped working. The founder of the company Giorgi Chirinashvili who operated the auto complex and a petroleum station states that since he joined Nino Burjanadze’s the political movement, finance police hinders his work.

While talking with Kakheti Information Center, Giorgi Chirinashvili names several officials who obliged him to give them large amounts of free oil at different times.

Ltd Giorgi 3 has been operating since 1998. For the year of 2010, its annual circulation amounted to 5 million dollars. During January-February of 2011 the company has been closed. It was inspected by the officials of Kakheti Agency of Investigation Department of Revenue Service. After completing the inspection, the owner of the Ltd Giorgi has decided to shut down the company.

Giorgi Chirinashvili: “The finance police started inspecting since I joined Nino Burjanadze’s political party. The company had been shut down during the inspection as they did expertise and sometimes took our documents. The clients had no access to it. Ultimately we lost our consumers and were forced to stop working.”

- Mr. Giorgi we have information that government officials owe you money?

- Yes, that is true. A lot of them do, including the officials of law-enforcement agencies and, its leadership and representatives of executive branch of government.

- Who exactly?

- These are the representatives of regional and district services of security. For example, Pridon, I do not know his last name. He works in Telavi Regional Service of Security. He asked for 1000 litre diesel. He said that he was harvesting and needed it for combine. He got the oil but never paid back. I follow his every job but. He changed several jobs. I think he works in Telavi police now. He does not refuse to pay, but nor he bring money. Once a deputy head of Sighaghi Security Service Ucha Pkhovelishvili took 272 GEL oil, but refused to pay money. I asked him several times. He never paid me back. Once he was sitting in the car, I came up and asked him why he does not pay me. He jumped out of the car and roared that he did what he wished. I did not want to fight and did not say anything.

- Are there people in the local government who have taken the oil and never paid back?

- Yes, there are. Kote Janelidze, a Tsnori deputy in the city council of the municipality has had my oil for years. It is not much money, but still it belongs to me. He will not pay it. I met him and asked him. But he still has not paid. There are many people like that. I will restrain from naming all.

Kakheti Information Center numerous times tried to contact Ucha Pkhovelishvili, however without result. Kote Janelidze, the deputy head of Sighnaghi City Council also refused to comment. We visited him at work, but could not meet him.

Four years ago Giorgi Chirinashvili had problems with the majority deputy of Sighnaghi. Giorgi Chirinashvili worked as a head of city council of the village Anagi at that time. Chirinashvili states that the deputy Abulashvili numerous times threatened him with the eviction in the name of Georgian President.

“PM Nugzar Abulashvili first asked me through acquaintances to leave the post of head of city council in March of 2004. On the second day, I met Abulashvili in the office. He was also heading the Sighnaghi regional organization of national movement at that time. He stated that if I did not obey him, he would expel me out of the region. The reason was said to be my work against him that he called to be an anti-state work. According to him, it was reflected in the appointment of representatives of oppositional political parties in the city council. After this conversation, Abulashvili obtained various personal data about my family. Apart from the private information, he obtained data from the tax service regarding the amount of my share in the business companies, taxes and etc. As he could not find any violation, in the presence of region Governor, he said out loud that he would do everything to get rid of me, even planting drugs and guns. I still refused to go,” – states Gogi Chirinashvili who was dismissed from the job of head of city council. Sighnaghi court rejected his complaints due to groundlessness.