Go and Drink “Laghidze Waters”

„Human Rights Centre” all day long was trying to clear up, if the Ltd. “Laghidze Waters” was entered in the privatization list of the ministry of Economic Development.

According to the information spread by the Georgian Media on 29 August, the Ministry of Economic listed Ltd. “Laghidze Waters” located on the street of M. Laghidze #1 (Rustaveli Ave.) in the privatization list. Though, as the representative of the public relations department of the Economic Ministry declared to the “Human Rights Centre”, “Laghidze Waters” was not listed in the privatization list and mentioned, that the faith of this Ltd is uncertain: “Mentioned unit was the property of the Tbilisi Municipality. Though, yesterday, on the governmental meeting, it was decided to assign this unit to the Ministry of Economic. I do not know, what people are talking, but I know that the unit is not listed in the privatization list. Maybe it will be listed in this list, maybe-not. Maybe it will be granted on lease. The faith of this Ltd will be solved on the next Governmental meeting, in the next week”.

Though, on the official web-site of the Economic Ministry is published the list of the privatization units and “Laghidze Waters” is among other units.
When we appealed for the comment to the Privatization Department of the Economic Ministry, they promised, to think on that issue and added that they would give us qualified answer during a day, though the day ended and we could not receive from them any answer (They promised to call, but later they even did not answer on our calls).

As Nino Mamukelashvili the director of Ltd. “laghidze Waters” declares, the unit was listed in the privatization list in the beginning of the nineties of XX century. Though, on the demand to give the right to buy this unit, employees of the Ltd received negative answer. According to her, the reason of such answer was the interests of high ranking officials with this territory.

Nino Mamukelashvili: “Unfortunately, I cannot give you the names of those officials. In nineties we sent our letters to all instances, though, without any results. In this period we worked under heavy pressure. Representatives of different departments were checking our Ltd. In 1998 we took the unit on lease for 8 year period. Now the date expired and that is why I cannot express my pretensions. As I have heart they will not change the profile of this shop. But I do not know for sure.”

Selling of the “Laghidze Waters” was a big surprise for Laghidzes themselves. During repressions in thirties the representatives of government took all the documents which were affirming that that shop was the property of Laghidzes. During years they were trying to buy this territory again:

Tornike Laghidze, grandchild of Mitrophane Laghidze: “We appealed to the former Georgian President Shevardnadze, though, they say that this was historical building and we could not buy it. Later, we appealed to the President SaakaSvili and to the former Minister of Economic Kakha Bendukidze, though, they also gave us the same answer. But now, they “discovered” that this is not the historical building and are going to sell it. I heard about this yesterday. I do not know what the faith of this building is. It is not excluded that they will change the profile of this building.” 

If we trust to the department of the Public Relations of the Economic Ministry, the faith of the Ltd. “Laghidze Waters” will be solved in the next week. Maybe we should not start a bustle, though, just in case – if you love “Laghidze Water” go and drink it, who knows, what will happen…

Nino Tarkhnishvili