In Kakheti, Local Government Cooperates with Criminal Authorities

“Criminal authorities, who have influence on districts, will be imprisoned nevertheless they commit crime or cooperate with organized criminal groups,” said the president and soon after this statement law enforcers detained many criminal authorities in many districts and Kakheti was among them. On the one hand it seems the government fights against the criminals; however according to the reliable sources, not only businessmen but representatives of the local authority also pay money for Obshchiak, collected money for criminal purposes.  Moreover, the high ranking officials try to threaten journalists in the name of criminal authorities.

On May 21, 2007 law enforcers from the Kakheti Department of the Internal Ministry detained Besik Chankoshvili, a famous criminal authority with nickname “Drele”.

According to the police, during detention Chankoshvili had some amount of money and list of the criminal authorities. The list revealed the information about the sum received and spent illegally and Maguli Gvaladze, lawyer for Chankoshvili confirms the fact. The lawyer said that her client was detained under the Criminal Code, Article 223 Section I for being member of criminal authority.

Criminal Case was launched on Chankoshvili and the Kakheti Department of the Internal Ministry is investigating the case. Nobody comments on the situation officially; however, in private talks the officials said that Chankoshvili’s case is actively investigated and very soon they are going to detain those people who transferred money to criminal cash before Drele was detained. Law enforcers do not name those people out of interest of investigation.

Non-governmental organization “Human Rights Center” has information about local government’s cooperation with criminal authorities in Kakheti.

“We got interested in the situation since we learned that small entrepreneurs in the region are ordered to pay money to “Obshchiak”. During the survey we discovered that several entrepreneurs and representatives of the local authority deliberately pay money to criminals.

On Chankoshvili’s list the sum amounted to 5 thousand USD. The reliable sources say that entrepreneurs and high ranking officials from Gurjaani sometimes transferred money to “Obshchiak”. We have information about these people; however most of them categorically deny their cooperation with criminal authorities.

“As far as we know, law enforcers have been working to reveal those people who support criminals. According to our information, in the nearest future, several people will be detained regarding the situation. In Gurjaani situation will be improved but there are many other districts with criminal authorities too,” said representatives of the Human Rights Center.

Based on the organization’s information, Mamuka Shubutsudze is a criminal authority in Lagodekhi District who is abroad as law enforcers claim. Labuchidze is another authoritative criminal in Lagodekhi district though he is neither thief nor criminal authority according to policemen. “Sunduka” is a criminal authority in Telavi whose real name is Tamaz Rekhviashvili and is disabled at the moment.  Kakha Chitinashvili has criminal influence on Signagi district and Zaza Elikashvili has authority over Gurjaani etc.

High ranking officials try to threat journalists with criminal authorities. Ilia Martkoflishvili, correspondent in Dedoflistskaro, blames Gela Tetrauli, Deputy Governor, for cooperation with criminals. He claims that deputy governor sent a criminal authority to his house after he had written some critical articles about the official to threaten him.

“In Dedoflistskaro everybody knows the brothers Gigauris; they are very dangerous people. They have served several terms in prison and involve some criminal discussion not only in Dedoflistskaro district but in other districts too. Gela Tetrauli sent one of the brothers to me. I was not at home and left message for me; he threatened with death unless I stopped writing negative articles about Tetrauli,” said Ilia Martkoflishvili, correspondent for newspaper “Tavisufali Gazeti”.

Gela Tetrauli denies the accusations. “Martkoflishvili is my enemy. He retells stories about me. How can I comment on his next stupid accusations,” said Tetrauli.

It must be pointed out that one of the high ranking officials tried to settle the argument with independent journalist with the support of criminal authorities. ”MP Soso Kardenakhishvili,  who is member of National Movement, asked Kakheti Regional correspondent for newspaper Imedi, to sit in his car where criminal authorities were sitting together with the MP. Today those criminals are in prison. The MP started to settle the argument with the journalist with the support of those criminals; the journalist had published critical letters in newspapers. The argument took place on a Gurjaani cemetery.” said representatives of the Human Rights Center.

The members of the Club for non-governmental organizations verify the information that high ranking officials cooperate with criminals. One of those officials is Gocha Mamatsashvili, former Telavi District Governor. At the moment he is Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. According to the spread information, there are video recorders about his parties together with criminal authorities. Wife of one of the criminals keeps the record.

We asked the Kakheti Regional Administrative Board to comment on the situation but they refused. Neither representatives of the Kakheti Office of the Special Operative Department within the Internal Ministry commented on the situation. 

Gela Mtivilishvili, Kakheti