Raid in Kakheti in the Name of President

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Several days ago, Maia Kalabegashvili, spokesperson of Kakheti regional governor, called Kakheti based businessmen to the administrative building of Gurjaani district and requested each of them to pay 500 GEL for printing business-information brochures. The spokesperson told the businessmen that president was informed about the project and its implementation is obligatory for everybody.

Businessmen personally confirmed that Kalabegashvili obliged them to pay money in their conversation with us. However, we keep the names of those entrepreneurs anonymous to protect them from oppression.

“We were called from Gurjaani district administration and invited to the office. Giorgi Chiviashvili, Gurjaani district governor, and Maia Kalabegashvili, former editor of the newspaper “Spektri” attended the meeting. We learned there that Kalabegashvili was appointed as spokesperson of the regional governor. According to the spokesperson the newspaper “Spektri” is going to issue business-information brochure for what we had to pay 500 GEL each. She added that President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili was informed about the intention and implementation of the project is necessary,” said one of the businessmen who attended the meeting.

Another entrepreneur reported that since they were told the president was informed about the project, businessmen agreed to pay the estimated sum.

Khatuna Chonishvili, director of French-Georgian Medical Center “Kakheti-Ioni”: “I was late at the meeting. The only thing I understood is that they are going to publish some brochure about regional business and local companies. They told me the price for the activities is 500 GEL; however, I do not know I have to pay the sum at once or gradually. If everybody pays the requested sum, I will not remain exception, of course.”
 
Guram Berikashvili, director of the “Aisi Ltd”, factory of ice-cream in Gurjaani: “They are going to publish brochures for interested people, and we have to take part in it. Although my enterprise does not need advertisement, I will take part in it.”

Giorgi Chiviashvili stated that business-catalogue will be published by the editorial-board of the regional newspaper “Spektri” and Maia Kalabegashvili, as well as the regional administration, assists the newspaper in organization issues. It must be pointed out that before moving to the regional administration Maia Kalabegashvili was publisher and director general of the newspaper “Spektri”. After moving to the regional administration she said that the newspaper is currently run by her sister, Marina Kalabegashvili.

Nato Barbakadze, editor of the newspaper “Spektri” confirmed that business-catalogue is a commercial project of the newspaper. “We are implementing this project,” said Barbakadze.

Despite the statement of the new editor of the newspaper, Maia Kalabegashvili spread information that she is author of the project and having moved to the public service she granted the project to the Gurjaani district administration.

“Business catalogue is my personal project and I intended to print it in my newspaper “Spektri” before I became spokesperson of Kakheti regional administration. I gave the project to Gurjaani district administration as a present. As for meeting with businessmen, Giorgi Chiviashvili met them but nobody mentioned 500 GEL. Nobody compels businessmen to participate in printing of business catalogue; it will happen according to their own wish,” said Kalabegashvili.