Cherchez la Femme! – Occupations and Properties of the Wives of Governmental Officials

Natia Dolidze, Newspaper “Kvela Siakhle”

Activities of wives of several politicians have become very catchy lately; they have even crossed the boundaries of their occupation fields and made loud statements in the society.

Our governmental officials filled in their last financial declarations in spring of 2011 where they described their and their family members’ financial conditions in 2010.

The spouses of politicians are active in many fields; they work in governmental institutions, private business companies, mass-media and educational institutions where they get quite high salaries. Of course, any person in any country shall enjoy her right and opportunity to work and have a career regardless the fact who is her husband.

However, it is significant that certain people shall not achieve success in their career only because they are relatives or husbands are high ranking officials; particularly when most population of the country copes with unemployment. Journalist Tamar Chergoleishvili - Wife of the Secretary of the National Security Council Giga Bokeria inspired me to write this article. Her recent activities did not support her politician husband. So, we will start the article with her property declaration:

According to 2010 financial declaration of Giga Bokeria, Tamar Chergoleishvili is a director of the weekly magazine Tabula. Though she does not have profit from it.

But Chergoleishvili is also editor-in-chief of the same magazine and her annual salary from the position is 132 000 GEL. She also works as a project manager for the CoE project where she annually receives 36 000 Euro.

It is noteworthy that Chergoleishvili has more income than her husband, as the declaration shows. She owns a car BMW 120 and has deposits in several banks.

Giga Bokeria’s declaration reads that the family paid 10 000 Euro for the education and living of Chergoleishvili’s daughter. One more interesting detail – in the same declaration Bokeria wrote that she received a prize – 75 000 USD from parents.

According to the 2010 financial declaration, the First Lady of Georgia Sandra Roelofs does not work; however she has a flat and mansard in Barnov Street # 9 in Tbilisi; Roelofs also has deposits in several banks.

When filling in the declaration, Sandra Roelofs had 21 000 USD in the TBC Bank; 85 000 Euro in ING Bank Terneuzen, Holland and 2 000 GEL on her account in the Bank of Georgia.

Maka Metreveli, wife of the chairman of the Parliament of Georgia Davit Bakradze, is a chief specialist at the social service and culture city department and in 2010 her annual income was 14 922 GEL. She also works in the fashion industry; she was partner of the LLc Fashion Group (the company which organizes Fashion Weeks in Georgia) and NNIP Fashion Association though she did not have any income from this business.

Maya Meskhishvili, wife of the Minister of Justice of Georgia Zurab Adeishvili, works for the Georgian National Communication Regulatory Commission as a chief specialist and in 2010 her income was 26 211 GEL.

Nino Lashkhia, wife of the Minister of Energy Aleksandre Khetaguri, works for the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission as a  head of the Public Relation Department; her annual income is 41, 976 GEL according to the declaration.

Tako Salakaia, wife of the Minister of Interior Vano Merabishvili, is a coordinator at the Association for Protection of Landowners Rights and her annual income is 12 800 GEL. In 2010, she had a deposit of 33 044 GEL in the Cartu Bank.

The property of Anna Shashkina, wife of the Minister of Education and Science Dimitry Shashkin, is very small. She owns a plot and a flat in Tbilisi. According to the declaration, she does not work and does not have a bank deposit at all.

Sopio Zhghenti, wife of the Parliament’s Vice-Speaker Mikheil Machavariani, is a PR Manager at the Ayety-TV and her monthly salary is 6 000 GEL. She has a car Wolkswagen-Tiguan (2009) and a plot of 901 sq. meters in Tsavkisi village.

Nino Mushkudiani, wife of the chairman of Parliament’s Defense Committee Givi Targamadze, does not work and does not have property except a car BMW 5 Grand Turismo (2009, CHC 707); in 2010 she paid 60 000 USD for the car.

Ketevan Kobiashvili, wife of the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the parliament Akaki Minashvili, works in the governmental institution. According to 2010 declaration, she was a deputy head of the administration at the Defense Ministry where her salary was 7 540 GEL; she also works for the MIA where she is a chief specialists at the protocol department of the ministry’s administration and her annual salary is 11 898 GEL.

Lately, several MPs Lasha Tordia, Kakha Anjaparidze and Zviad Kukava have been authors of most legislative initiatives at the Parliament of Georgia. So, we got interested in their declarations. Lasha Tordia’s wife Maya Iremashvili is the head of the administration at the Execution National Bureau at the Ministry of Justice and her income is 15 000 GEL. Kakha Anjaparidze’s wife Maya Nikoleishvili is the head of the office at the Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare; her annual salary is 9 190 GEL. The declaration of Zviad Kukava does not contain information about the occupation and income of his wife Dali Korkelia.

MP Davit Darchiashvili’s wife Lela Tskitishvili is a chief specialist at the Ministry of Education and Science; her annual salary is 12 825 GEL. According to 2010 financial declaration, Darchiashvili’s wife received a grant of 106 000 GEL. Lela Tskitishvili has a car
HYUNDAY TUCSON (2008, MIW 337).

Nato Bluashvili is wife of Zurab Melikishvili, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Finances and Budget and secretary general of the National Movement. Nato Bluashvili owns a plot 3 060 sq. meters in Akhalsopeli village in Mtskheta municipality. She has a flat (in the hotel-type residential building) in Bakuriani. Nato Bluashvili has a car Toyota RAV-4 (2002). The 2010 declaration does not contain any information about her income.

The wife of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia is a famous ballet dancer Nino Ananiashvili. In Tbilisi she owns a house in Tbilisi, and a flat in Moscow. She has two cars – Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Land Cruiser. Nino Ananiashvili also owns enterprise “Grigol Vashadze and Brothers”. Her income from the enterprise is zero. As you know she is art director of the Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theater. In 2010 her annual salary was 89 600 GEL.

As we have already mentioned, the wives of governmental officials work in media organizations too. Eka Kvesitadze is wife of Shota Utiashvili, director of the information-analytic department of the MIA. Kvesitadze owns two plots in Rustavi. She is a journalist for the Public Broadcasting Company and her income in 2010 was 37 200 GEL.

Yana Framer, wife of Georgia’s Ambassador to the USA Temur Iakobashvili, is a chief producer of the First Caucasian Channel. Her annual income was 75 000 GEL.

MP Giorgi Meladze’s wife Maka Lachashvili is a manager at the GPI Holding and her annual income is 35 835 GEL. The property of this couple is very impressive. Maka Lachashvili has a flat in Tbilisi; she is also co-owner of two more flats and one non-residential space in Tbilisi. Lachashvili has a car Mitsubishi (2008) and deposits in several banks. According to the 2010 declaration she had 10 000 GEL in cash. Her husband also has quite a large income. In 2008, the Tbilisi city budget allocated 9 277 GEL to assist Giorgi Meladze. I looked through his previous declarations and I would like to note that the property of the couple had always been very impressive.

Lela Kiladze, wife of the Tbilisi City Mayor Gigi Ugulava, owns a flat in the capital unlike her homeless husband. She is head of cultural events at the President’s administration and her annual income is 40 023 GEL. According to 2010 declaration she had 14 000 GEL on the deposit in the Bank of Georgia.

Nana Goderdzishvili, wife of MP Akaki Bobokhidze [lately known as Corn Prince], produces agricultural products. In 2010, she had income of 38 000 GEL from her business. Goderdzishvili has a small house and a agricultural plot in Sagarejo district. She also has a car Toyota RAV-4.

Brothers Kublashvilis occupy high positions in the government. Marina Meskhi, wife of the chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia Kote Kublashvili, owns a plot and flat in Tbilisi. She also has a plot in Ozurgeti district. Marina Meskhi is director of the State Foundation for the Protection and Aid of Trafficking Victims. Her annual income was 39 512 GEL. According to the declaration, she is a lecturer at the Tbilisi State University where her salary is 1 500 GEL.
Tamika Abutidze, wife of Pavle Kublashvili, chairman of the Legal Committee of the Parliament, owns a plot in Mtskheta district. She has a Toyota Prado (2008). Pavle Kublashvili’s wife is head of marketing and advertisement department of the TaoPrivatBank and her annual income is 48 554 GEL.

Salome Tsakadze, wife of Davit Kirkitadze, Kvemo Kartli Regional Governor, is a head of the Public Relation Department of the Barambo Company. Her annual income is 18 000 GEL. Salome Tsakadze has a car Wolskwagen-Tiguan (2010).

MP Nugzar Tsiklauri’s wife Eliso Nizharadze is director of the Ltd School-Lyceum Ritor and her annual income is 14 400 GEL.

When reading the financial declarations of governmental officials I discovered that their wives adore when their luxury cars have expensive state numbers. For example, MP Vakhtang Balavadze’s wife Ana Khomeriki has BMW 320 and its number is ANY 001; Pavle Kublashvili’s wife Tamila Abutidze’s car has state number TNS 999; Akaki Bobokhidze’s wife Nana Goderdzishvili’s car has a state number NBA 555; Giorgi Meladze’s wife Maka Lachashvili’s car has a state number TIV 777; Zurab Melikishvili’s wife Nato Bluashvili’s car has a state number BUT 800, etc. (in Georgia prices of the paid state numbers range from 150 to 10 000 GEL).

p.s. It was only part of financial declarations of the high ranking officials’ wives who compete their husbands with their income; sometimes they achieve success independently, sometimes their husbands assist them in career.

P.P.S. Cherchez la Femme in French means: Seek the Woman!

You can also read 2009 financial declarations of the public officials’ wives on the humanrights.ge