How Much Did Temur Korshaia Pay Ugulava to Lock the Market Gate? (Part III)

How Much Did Temur Korshaia Pay Ugulava to Lock the Market Gate?

(Part III)

Regarding the Locking of the Zugdidi Central Market Gate, Traders Speak About Ugulava and Korshia’s Criminal Connections and Blame them for the Current Predicament. According to the Traders, Korshia Paid 60,000 GEL to Gigi Ugulava to Lock the Market Gate.

The usual protestors at the market demonstrations have become opposition party members since 2006. Calls of government treachery are heard at the demonstrations held by the traders. Nevertheless, nobody demands the President’s resignation, because the traders still hope that they will be seen as “Rose Revolution” activists, and the President’s supporters. The reason for the new riots was the issue of cash registers.

The government refuses to give in, even in this case; cash registers will appear at the market anyway.

Traders were met by Koko Gamsaxurdia and later by Revaz Bulia. The leader of “Tavisupleba” (“Liberty”) met the traders at the market and promised that he would use all his reserves to unlock the gate.

Unlike Koko Gamsakhurdia, who tries to solve the market problem through negotiations, Rezo Bulia, one of the leaders of the “Samartlianoba” (“Justice”) party, took a different approach. On 28th May 2006, he attacked the market’s concrete gate to break in with activists and market traders. But a reinforced special operations unit did not let them succeed. During the quarrel, Rezo Bulia and his brother were arrested and sentenced to ten days imprisonment. Traders together with activists from “Samartlianoba” held joint demonstrations during their imprisonment and demanded the release of the detained brothers. Market traders met Rezo Bulia and his brother at the Zugdidi Forth Jail with great fanfare on the tenth day.

Traders appear at meeting of political parties and accuse the government of treachery.
 
Traders spoke out loudly about the criminal alliance between Ugulava and Korshia and blame them for arranging the current situation regarding the market. They declared that Korshia (a representative of Coca-cola in Megrelia) paid 60,000 GEL to Ugulava (former governor of Megrelia – Upper Svaneti) to lock the market gate.

Information, which has been spread in the lobbies for a while, is now announced loudly and the scandal concerning the market engulfs a new suspect - Temur Korshia.

Temur Korshia declares that he built the shopping centre to improve group conditions in the market.
 
Korshia’s shopping centre is being built on Rustaveli Street, opposite the market causing the scandal. Construction is due to end soon and as we know the opening will be arranged shortly. Information about President’s probable arrival at the opening is denied by Korshia himself, who says the information is false. The head of Coca-cola in Megrelia was a bit annoyed by this question and he thought that the President may have no information at all about the construction. He says that he experiences pressures, but does not specify the origin of that pressure.

Temur Korshia, the Coca-cola representative to Megrelia states: “Everybody wants his share in this centre. Everybody thinks you are sack full of money. Nobody is interested in doing business. We do not launder money. We are performing pure business. I have a little business and it is not big enough to be shared among seventeen people. I know that the first person of our state is interested in developing business, but I cannot say the same about the rest.”

Korshia declares that, during his activities he experiences pressure and describes his arrangement with Ugulava as a part of that pressure. He denies having shareholders in his business and he thinks that all these people are part of campaign against him.

Tactful about his business, Korshia however spoke quite a lot about the “market topic”: “They want to turn those impoverished people against me, whom they keep in unsanitary and unbearable conditions and alongside this exploit them. That market has twelve shareholders. To tell the truth, I have decided to build the market as a favor to them. I sold thigh in the market, but they demanded 15% for it, then I sold something else, and they asked the same. They did not give me a chance. The Administration asked me to pay at least 30 tetri for each box. They had their own prices on the goods and they did not like the cheap ones brought in by me. That is why I was blocked. Now you will see what I shall open. They have three times more space and people. The gate was locked by the Administration itself. They don’t want everything to be transparent.”

Korshia points directly to the financial chaos that has existed in the market for years, regarding tax avoidance, and declares that he is ready to debate with his rivals. Moreover, he is going to finance the TV debates himself, if dialogue is desired. To exclude any connection with the locking of the market gate, Korshia suddenly stated: “I could invest some funds in the reconstruction of the market - if only they opened the gate. Zugdidi is large and can sustain two markets. The success of my own venture was foreseen through this market. A person entering the market will call at my centre as well. Locking the gate took 30% of my potential customers.”

The traders express their distrust of Temur Korshia and declare that he lies. They all speak out about ‘Korshia’s interests’ and threaten to paralyze the operation of his shopping centre.

Jina Kartozia, a market trader states: “Let them dare try to open it. We have heard the President is expected to attend the opening of the shopping centre. Let them dare and try to open it. We will not let them open it. That is to be a market and not a shopping centre.”

Traders do not show much favor towards the current governor, Zaza Gorozia, either. They call his statement slanderous and a lie; according to his statement, the Supreme Court did not make a decision to open the gate in favor of the traders. They also protest against the reducing and shortening of the pavements as part of the Rustaveli street reconstruction, as well as dividing the street with a green line. They consider all of this is being done to close down the market for good. 

Marina Kobalia, a market trader states: “The street is cut in half. Everything has been done to oppress the market. Anyway, we will not give in; my starving family is standing behind this market.”

Maia Ghubeladze, Zugdidi.