Members of Agency of Subsidies and Insurance Companies Detained

Interpresnews

Officers of the investigative department at the Ministry of Finances detained representatives of the Agency for Subsidies within the Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare for the unreasonable expenditure and misappropriation of a  particularly large amount of budget funds and the abuse of their professional power. 

According to the investigation information, Deputy Director of the Social Agency Ioseb Lobzhanidze, Head of Department of Social Programs Gela Chiviashvili, his deputy Ana Tsikarishvili, Head of the Social Program Department Mamuka Shalamberidze, Head of Lagodekhi District Office of the Social Agency Teimuraz Gogoladze, social agents of the same office Mamuka Bokeria and Aleksandre Shavlakadze, Head of the State Program Purchases and Management within the Insurance Company “Alfa” Giorgi Ambroliani, Manager of State Programs Givi Tsuleiskiri, Head of the Department for the Cooperation and Monitoring of  Hospitals Ilia Khomeriki, Project Development Manager at the Insurance Company “Archimedes Global Georgia” Rati Nodia, Head of the Department for State Programs within the Insurance Company “Aldagi BCI” Ivane Kakhidze, Deputy Executive Director of the Insurance Company Imedi-L Nikoloz Chikhladze, Head of the regional management department of the IC Irao Ivane Melikishvili, former medical manager for the population beyond poverty level at the IC “IC Group” Maia Tsanava and State Social Program Manager at the IC “GPI” Teimuraz Chikhladze.

According to official information, the investigation estimated that the above-listed people and with the support of fabricated documents, did not distribute insurance policies to  socially disabled people as envisaged under the health insurance state program, through neglecting their responsibilities in order to materially benefit from it. They did not cover medical services and in doing so they misappropriated more than 5, 700 million GEL which was allocated from the state budget for the insurance program.

The investigation alleges that head of Purchase and Management Department at the IC “Alfa” Giorgi Ambroliani and state Program Manager Givi Tsuleiskiri intimidated the employees of the IC “Alfa” during the investigation process and demanded them to hide information from the investigators about the late distribution of insurance policies.

The preliminary investigation is carried out under Articles 182, 332 and 372 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Before 3:00 pm, the Insurance Companies confirmed information that the Department of Revenues worked in their offices. They did not confirm the information that the prosecutor’s office was also carrying out investigations in their offices. The companies did not have information about the detention of their employees either.

The representatives of several insurance companies told Interpresnews that the scheduled examination of state medical insurance programs is going on in their offices.

“We do not have any information yet. We are waiting for 3:00 pm,” said the representatives of the IC “Imedi-L.”

According to the preliminary data of the audit from the Chamber of Control of Georgia, in 2008-2010 the insurance companies made a profit of more than 60% from the state medical insurance program.

The Chamber of Control made the Ministry of Healthcare accountable for the management of the state program.