How Money Allocated by Central Georgian Government Actually Spent in Kakheti?

 Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Based on the Georgian government’s resolution 125, issued on March 14 2008 and another resolution, #327 issued on May 15 2008, and before parliamentary elections that were held  on May 21 2008 Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani and Sagarejo municipalities received 6,805 200 GEL for their respective budgets. Sighnaghi district received 1, 891 200 GEL; Lagodekhi-1,550 000 GEL; Sagarejo-1 392 00 GEL and Gurjaani-1 972 000 GEL. The allocated money should have spent on the rehabilitation of water system and streets; besides that villages should have been supplied with gas; facades of the multi-storied houses should have been painted; roofs should have been repaired, etc. And all must have been done, as protocols, AKTS, of the implemented work stated that everything was completed to the highest quality standards.  However, time tells and bridges have already collapsed in Lagodekhi, and roofs of the multi-storied houses have been blown off by wind and still locals are without a supply of water.

Based on the decree # 327 of the central authority administrative-territorial bodies are allowed to negotiate only with one person representing state purchases. Experts think that the reason for such decrees is became of the limited time for announcing tender or competition to carryout planned repair works in certain district and this was just before the parliamentary elections.

The Human Rights Center contacted the district governors of Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani and Sagarejo and asked them several questions. However, only Kakhaber Labuchidze, Gurjaani district governor, was willing to provide answers to the following questions: what rehabilitation works should have been implemented by the allocated sum? What was actually completed? When and who implemented the work? What all was not done from among the planned activities and why it was not done? Who was in charge of monitoring the on-going rehabilitation works?

Based on the agreement between of the Gurjaani Municipality Board and individual entrepreneur “Nodar Palavandishvili”, he received 70, 000 GEL from the administrative board and took the responsibility of improve water supply system in the village of Vejini in Gurjaani district. The agreement was signed on May 20, 2008. However, as Vejini residents claim the works actually started several days before. Nonetheless, the protocol on implemented work was dated by June 2 2008. The document states that the work was done in high quality and complied with the contract demands. In fact, part of the Vejini residents, who were to be supplied with water after the repair works, still cannot obtain water. Locals state that although a new well was dug in the area, it was poorly done and within several days it was destroyed.

Based on the contract between Gurjaani Municipality Board and JSC “Gurjaangazi”, dated on May 6, 2008, the JSC had to repair the gas-supply system for the residents of Gabashvili Street # 41, 43 and 50 and the wine factory located in the village of Chandari. For the scheduled activities “Gurjaangasi” received 11,199 GEL. However, the wine in the village of Chandari was supplied with gas at the expenses of the locals.

Based on the agreement reached between Gurjaani municipality board and “Elektroteknika” Ltd the company received a total of 89, 828 GEL to repair the light-posts in Rustaveli, Koroghlishvili, Sarajishvili and Chavchavadze streets in Gurjaani, as well as in the surrounding area of the residential buildings in the village of Kachreti. It must be noted that by that time light-posts worked without any delay in Rustaveli and Sarajishvili streets in Gurjaani.

“Elektroteknika Ltd” signed another agreement based on what it received 249, 980 GEL and had to repair the network of the street light posts on Queen Tamar, Aghmashenebeli, Parnavazi, Kostava, April 9, Embankment, Vazha Pshavela, Tabukashvili, St. Nino, Guramishvili, Takaishvili and Rustaveli streets in Gurjaani. The protocol on implemented work, signed on May 19, 2008, states that the implemented work and based on the requirements of agreement. In fact, street lights had worked without delay in April 9, St. Nino and Guramishvili streets before the implemented rehabilitation work. Currently, street light posts work only in Ioseb Noneshvili, Tavisufleba and on Rustaveli Streets.

It must be pointed out that, individual entrepreneurs “Gogita Abrasmishvili” (67,958 GEL) and “Gurgeni Abramishvili” (51, 871 GEL), registered in Lagodekhi district, implemented rehabilitation works on four residential buildings in the village of Kachreti in Gurjaani district. However, several construction organizations located in Gurjaani district could have implemented the same activities.

Company “I.P.I” received 397, 000 GEL based on the contracts with the Gurjaani municipality board that was dated by April 14 and June 3 of 2008. According to those contracts the company had to rehabilitate reservoirs of the water system, the pipeline of the water and sewerage system in the Gurjaani district. The signed documents did not indicate exactly those villages where the company had to work. They really repaired the reservoirs of the water systems in several villages of the district; the reservoirs were actually covered for short time. But now as a result of the poorly implemented work, the reservoirs remain uncovered and drinking water is becoming polluted in the villages. As for the drinking water in the town, very often it is polluted with fecal material.

As for the implemented works under the order of Lagodekhi, Sighnaghi and Sagarejo district, Gia Gozalishvili and Gia Chalatashvili, the districts governors, did not issue public information despite our repeated request. Sighnaghi municipality board refused to issue any public information because “our request was groundless and unreasonable.” “Sighnaghi Municipality Board is not obliged to provide complete explanation to interested people or about issue or report about him or other individuals. The requested documents are original copies of the financial cases of the Sighnaghi Municipality Board and it cannot be provided to interested people,” stated the municipality board in its reply.

According to our information, neither Sighnaghi, nor Lagodekhi nor Sagarejo municipality boards spent allocated money as it was intended.

200,000 GEL was allocated from Lagodekhi district local budget to repair the facades and roofs of the residential buildings in the town of Lagodekhi.  However, because of poorly completed work, and just a short time ago, the wind blew off the roofs of three houses that had been repaired on Chavchavadze Street. The bridges that were restored in the villages of Ninigori and Gelati, within the scope project, and with a total budget of 100 000 GEL, have already collapsed. The reconstruction works of the bridge in the village of Mshvidobiani has not been complete as yet. Tengiz Tutisani, director of the building company “Tutisani” explained that only 15,000 GEL was transferred on their account out of total of 50, 000 GEL as was envisaged in the contract. The Lagodekhi municipality board refuses to transfer the rest of the money. “I petitioned to Gia Gozalishvili several times and requested to allocate money to finish the construction of the bridge but he refused. The officials promised to transfer the rest of money if I give them half of it; I refused them,” said Tengiz Tutisani.

Based on the official information, 70,000 GEL was spent on cutting the well in the village of Matsimi out of apportioned 270,000 GEL. Lagodekhi municipality board accepted the constructed unit from the company bit villagers still have to fetch water from the neighboring villages when it rains.

Resolution # 327 of the central authority separately lists the sums that are necessary for the scheduled repair-works in the districts. 124 000 GEL is envisaged for Sighnaghi, 201, 000 GEL for Lagodekhi, 500,000 GEL for Sagarejo and 744, 050 for Gurjaani. Representatives of the non-governmental organization Strategic Researches and Development Center stated that if above-mentioned sums were properly spent, it should have been reflected in the outward amenities of the town, However it did not happen as planned.

Information was distributed at the beginning of July that Kakheti regional prosecutor’s office became interested in the legality of the expenses from the sums allocated for the elections in the region. By that time, officials from the Prosecutor’s office had entered several municipality boards to secure documents. However, according to the Georgian Prosecutor General’s office, the prosecutor’s office does not lead investigation about the expenses as allocated under the resolution # 125 and resolution # 327.