Businessman Blames Former Poti Mayor in Oppression and Bankruptcy

Inga Gvasalia, Poti

After several-years silence, a businessman from Poti and owner of the agricultural market Ltd Kolkhi 21 Nodar Korsantia started speaking about seizure of his property and oppression. Korsantia said after Vakhtang Lemonjava occupied position of Poti Mayor, local agricultural market started to ruin. Currently, Lemonjava is member of the National Movement fraction in the Parliament of Georgia.

When Lemonjava was appointed to the position of the mayor, Nodar Korsantia protested prohibition of poultry and fish trading in Poti but nobody had ever responded to him. “Local government cut all communication sources. They made us destroy everything. We arranged a small zoo for children and they even ordered to demolish it. He did not allow me to do anything. Lemonjava tried to bankrupt me. After all this, tax inspection started to raid my business. Everybody knows in Poti that people were compelled to sell their houses for the fear of being arrested. That time head of tax department Sungulia told me to pay money to the budget though he did not name exact amount. They offered me to change declarations too. I did not pay money; so I was fined with half million GEL.”

Korsantia recalled how his business started to fail. He said the city government personally gave list of people to punishment bodies to extort money from and to fill in budget with the money. “Being at the edge of bankruptcy, I was ordered to start some useless construction in Poti. I already head three-storied trading center where second and third floors were empty; Lemonjava compelled me to construct a new three-storied building in order to show its red roof to the president when he flew over Poti. I had to satisfy Lemonjava’s caprice. Saakashvili permanently spoke about promotion of business in the country. I am an IDP from Abkhazia; my business was successful in Russia; when Saakashvili called upon every Georgian businessman to return to homeland, I returned but now everybody knows what situation was here in the field of business development.”

Nodar Korsantia blames Poti authority in one more fact of attempted bankruptcy. “I spent 100 000 lari to repair the road around my market and paved it with tiles. In order to construct a new road here, they made me remove tiles and it cost almost same money. If they intended to construct a road there, why did they allow me to pave tiles in the area?! I several times requested the local authority to give me copy of the general plan of the intended construction activities in the embankment of the Rioni River; but I think they do not have similar plan at all.”

Journalists also inquired about the plan of the construction but they could not get hold of it. However, Vakhtang Lemonjava used to mention about unique plan of the embankment during his meetings with journalists. Head of space arrangement, architecture and construction service at the City Hall Nukri Tugushi clarifies that similar project does not exist. There was only a sketch and desire of the members of the city council to start construction in the Rioni embankment. Those foreign investors, who were to implement this project, finally refused to take part in it and everything failed.

“I can close the market today. The government can take people, employed at my premise, wherever they want. I will employ only 15 people and it will be the cheapest and most profitable market in Poti; but I care about every person who works here. I categorically demand the city authority to stop my persecution. I have general project of the development of Rioni Embankment and of the market. I have been enduring this situation for a long time. Now I request the city authority to put everything in order and allow me to act in accordance to my own plan and develop my business not only for me but for my employees and the city in general. I do not ask the government anything except to stop hindering my activities.”

At the end of his conversation with humanrights.ge Korsantia said that it was illegal to seize property from him and former mayor Vakhtang Lemonjava was standing behind this. “Court will return my seized property back. I was told at the ministry of economy that the state will return my property back alongside many other private properties which were seized illegally.”

Korsantia said he does not have valid evidence to prove that Lemonjava personally tried to bankrupt him but actions implemented against him gives him right to suspect that the Poti mayor was interested in getting hold of his business. “When he compelled us to construct a building to show off before Saakashvili, do you know what he told us? If you do not construct it, other person will do it! He told me several times – you own much property. He permanently oppressed me and tried to bankrupt me. He did not speak about my income; he was interested in my property because although it is unprofitable today one day (and I think it will happen soon) my business will be profitable.”

Humanrights.ge called Vakhtang Lemonjava to comment on Korsantia’s statement. The MP said the accusations were absurd. “I, city mayor, had nothing to do with the market director besides cooperating on the issue of improvement of city environment, to remove illegal constructions and garbage from the city. Korsantia got bankrupt as a result of unpaid taxes and bank debts for many years; Vakhtang Lemonjava had nothing to do with it. He had debts before I arrived in Poti. If you check the dates when those debts originated, you will get sure that I have nothing to do with them. This statement assures me that he wants to gain his property back, which he had lost because of unpaid debts and tries to blame previous authority of the city in it. As for forced construction, the city had its architect concept and every property owner was obliged to improve environment nearby their properties. We did not compel anybody to do anything.”

We asked head of supervision service of the city hall Mikheil Akobia to comment on the issue. He, unlike pre-election period, immediately agreed to speak about the problem. He said roads leading to the agriculture market and surrounding territory had been particularly arranged for the last two years. As for Kolkhi 21 and complex trading center, there are all conditions there to allow farmers to sell their products.