The head of one more service department quitted position in Gori Municipality City Hall

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli 

On January 24, 2019, head of the administration at the Gori Municipality City Hall Temur Manvelishvili wrote letter on resignation. It was connected with the October 10, 2018 incident in front of the building of the Gori Municipality City Hall, when Manvelishvili put garbage bin over the head of civil activist Giga Makarashvili. 

Civil activists protested the statement of Konstantine Tavzarashvili, Gori Municipality Mayor, about the 2008 Russia-Georgian war: “When we opened fire, they could also fire back and can you imagine what could happen then?” The civil activists held demonstration in front of the Municipality City Hall building and brought wheat and fecal masses to the building stairs.

After the demonstration, the civil activists were collecting the fecal masses in the bucket, when the head of the administration Temur Manvelishvili put the bucket full of garbage over the head of Giga Makarashvili. 

The investigation started into violence fact but there was no adequate reaction; the civil activist stated that Manvelishvili was the brother-in-law of the deputy defense minister and it was the reason of unsuccessful investigation.

The head of the administration received only a reprimand for the incident that was protested by Makarashvili and protest posters appeared in Gori with Manvelishvili’s photos and slogan: “Unpunished”. After this action, prosecutor’s office called Makarashvili to the interrogation and granted victim status to him.

“I am not going to withdraw my complaint from the prosecutor’s office as it is the request of the society to punish Manvelishvili for his action,” Giga Makarashvili said.

The police started investigation two months after the incident, namely, they requested video-records from local TV-Companies. 

Gori Municipality Mayor said Manvelashvili filed resignation letter. Tavzarashvili said the head of the administration has 14 days to change his position. 

“I have not signed his petition yet; I will wait 14 days as Manvelishvili has not requested immediate resignation from the position. So, he may change his mind and stay in office,” Gori municipality mayor said. 

The group of Temur Manvelishvili’s supporters was created in the social network, whose members request the parliament to adopt the new law, which will ban dissemination of fake information and slander as well as degrading forms of demonstration in the country.