Reconstruction of Stadium Suspended, Senior Officials of the Municipal Government Summoned to Interrogation

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

When visiting Guria region in summer of 2012, President Mikheil Saakashvili said it would be renaissance year for the region. And the process was to start with the reconstruction of the playground for the Lanchkhuti football club Guria. That-time Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Ramaz Nikolaishvili said the reconstruction would start soon and it would place 22 000 spectators.  

Although rehabilitation of the Guria’s playground was priority of the previous government, even first stage of the rehabilitation activities has not finished there.

Building Company Oktan Media implemented rehabilitation works in the playground; the district administration had signed contract with them in July of 2012 and then renewed in August of 2012.

Head of procurement service at Lanchkhuti district administration Maya Apkhazava said 800 000 lari, that was allocated from the central budget for the construction of the playground, was completely spent. No more transfers were made since October, 2012 and it caused delay in the rehabilitation activities.

“The transferred money was spent on different analysis, preparation activities; toilets and dressing rooms were repaired in the dispersal stadium. Western and northern platforms were demolished in the main playground. Eastern platform was renovated. Braces were also installed which will hold chairs in future,” Apkhazava said.

Apkhazava said, more than 6 million lari was necessary for the full rehabilitation of the playground; only 800 000 lari was transferred that was completely spent by the hired company.

According to the contract requirements, the Company had taken so called construction rubbish from the playground. However, a member of the Lanchkhuti municipal board Levan Chkhaidze said expensive iron-concrete materials were withdrawn from the playground instead rubbish that was sold by the Company and local government.

Head of Guria regional Football Federation Kakha Ebralidze said he had already appealed to the prosecutor’s office regarding this fact.

“Today, the construction is stopped. Nothing was done there since October. I was not informed about ongoing activities. A company signed an agreement with the district administration and they started deconstruction of the playground without informing me about anything. I do not know why they ignored me. We expected high-standard playground but now we have demolished stadium. When forming balance, we found out that some things were missing from the playground; Ltd Lanchkhutis Guria has lost some property. So, I appealed to the prosecutor’s office and they are investigating this fact,” said Ebralidze.

Several days ago, former senior officials were interrogated at the Lanchkhuti district police: former interim district governor Kakha Askurava, former chairman of the municipal board Revaz Chitidze, former district governor Giorgi Goguadze, deputy governor Nugzar Glonti, chairman of the fraction Majoritarebi at the municipal board Davit Chkhaidze and head of infrastructure service Soso Chkhaidze. 

Were they summoned to the prosecutor’s office with regard to the playground’s case? We asked the aforementioned former senior officials this question but they did not answer this question due to investigation interests.