Entrepreneurs Are Raided in Kakheti Too

The facts of transferring one's private property to the state have been increased in Kakheti. The activity is called kind of "Reket" (raiding) by opposition. Sighnaghi District is the leader in granting the private properties to the state. There, the entrepreneurs transfer not only their Ltds, but their own houses as well.

The head of the Ltd "Acho', Gela Bezhashvili, who is also the chief of the Social Aid Department of the Sighnaghi District Administrative Board, said in his conversation with the Human Rights Centre that he was ordered to present his property to the state.

-Mr. Gela, What kind of property did you transfer to the Ministry of Economical Development?

-It was a market located in Sighnaghi with its facilities and small shop in the surrounding area.

-You said that you were ordered to present it to the state. Who, where and when ordered you to do it?

-A week ago I was invited to the Tax Service Department of the Sighnaghi District and I was ordered to transfer my property to the Ministry of Economical Development. The meeting there were also presented the representatives from Tbilisi and Telavi, as well as officials from the Financial Police. However, I do not know their names.

-Did they ordered you to transfer the property, or did they oppress you too?

-I cannot tell you that. I will tell you everything myself when time arrives.

-What prevents you speaking now?

-At present I am shocked. Having thought out everything carefully, I’ve found out that I had not left money even for bread. I have no income. But I could not do anything. They warned. that I would be detained unless I transfer my property to the state. Please, stop questioning, I cannot tell you anything more. I promise you to tell everything when time arrives. I am too nervous and worried.

According to the non-governmental organization Human Rights Centre, many more entrepreneurs shared Bezhashvili's fate.

"A week ago we were invited to the Sighnaghi District Administrative Board. They told us that the government needs buildings which we own in the centre of the town and we have to grant it to them. So, I had to register the building on the Ministry of Economical Development. Lia Zurashvili, the chief of the Local Service Department within the State Property Management, received the property. I don’t want to get in prison in my old age. That’s why, I decided to present my property to them and the same did Badur Milashvili, the director of the Ltd Kiritkhuro, whose office also resides in the same building," said Omar Tsakiashvili, Ltd Mshenebeli. He added that arriving at the Sighnaghi District Notary Office to register the contract for the transfer, he was furious; however, the notary did not get interested in the reason.

The notary Giorgi Lomashvili denies the blames of the respondent. "The person, arriving at my office, pointed out that he was acting according to his will. Why should I have been surprised at their behaviour? I do not have right to say anything more. My activity is not public," says Lomashvili.  

Lia Zurashvili neither denies nor confirms the fact of oppression and threatening on the citizens. "Bezhashvili, Milashvili, Tsakiashvili and Berulashvili really transferred their properties to the Ministry. I did not take any part in the negotiations. I do not know what they arranged between them. I know that Bezhashvili, living in Chavchavadze street # 11 in Sighnaghi, applied to the Sighnaghi District notary in the name of the Ltd Acho and said that he wanted to grant the market in Sighnaghi to the Ministry of Economical Development. The notary satisfied his appeal and gave a present to the state. We have received the property. The market is valued at 5, 000 GEL. However, very soon it will be valued again because the location is very good and the price is too small regarding it. As for Milashvili, he granted his two-storied living house to the state, which is located in the old district of the town. The house is valued at 3,500 GEL. Berulashvili presented us the house valued at the same. I repeat once more that I cannot say anything about the oppression on the people," declares Zurashvili.

Lado Simonishvili, the inspector of the Telavi Tax Inspection denies the fact of the oppression on the entrepreneurs. "Bezhashvili might have confused something. I have not told them anything and I did not oppress them either. What kind of property did they grant to the state, I have no idea…"

-Bezhashvili said that he was invited to the Tax Inspection and threatened there.

-He might have not explained you the situation well, as they are worrying. Simonishvili has no dealing with that fact.

-Mr. Lado who attended that meeting?

-I cannot say, I do not remember…

The representative of the Human Rights Centre's Kakheti Office state that the facts of transferring the estates of entrepreneurs occurred in Dedoflistskaro as well.  "They were threatened and in exchange of the freedom they have to grant their property to the state. They speak about the oppression loudly. They say that all of them were called and offered to grant their property to them if they do not want to be detained. Law enforcers should react on these public statements about crime. But in our country, the prosecutor's office and the financial police run everything," says Lia Khuroshvili, lawyer for the centre.

Besides this, the representatives of NGO mention that the seizing of the property is going on in Kakheti and getting more and more large-scaled. According to their information, one of the entrepreneur, to avoid the transfer of his property to the state and thus leaving his children without any income, tried to commit a suicide; luckily he was rescued by his family members.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti