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Clan of Deputy Regional Governor in Kakheti

June 24, 2009

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Deputy regional governor who is fond of scandals states “Let those people condemn me who are more decent than I am”

In Kakheti region only relatives, family members, friends or close people of Giorgi Sibashvili, deputy regional governor are employed at public agencies. Lately, the HR policy of the deputy governor has influenced the public schools, the district offices of the Agency of Social Subsidies and private companies too. When commenting on the below-mentioned facts, the vice-governor said he is ready to fight; however, we are doing our professional job.

Giorgi Sibashvili occupied the position of deputy regional governor in September 2008. Before that he was head of permanent arbitrage “Barrister” in Tbilisi. During the pre-election campaign for the parliamentary elections on May 21, 2008 Sibashvili was running the election HQ of the single mandate candidate Giorgi Ghviniashvili from the National Movement in Gurjaani district. In 1998-2002 he was Gurjaani district governor. He resigned in order to take part in the parliamentary elections but his rival Nikoloz Kvezereli gained more votes and entered the parliament.

Giorgi Sibashvili has many friends and acquaintances in Gurjaani. He is originally from the village of Vejini in Gurjaani district. His relatives live and work in Kakheti.

Sibashvili started to employee his people in public agencies after the parliamentary elections on May 21, 2008 when he was appointed as the head of the Election HQ of Ghviniashvili. Dali Mindiashvili, head of Educational Resource Center in Gurjaani district, was made to resign according to the orders of Sibashvili. Instead, his friend, Lali Gabitashvili, a teacher from Gurjaani Public School N 4, occupied the position in the Resource Center. After the parliamentary elections finished, brother of Giorgi Sibashvili – Gocha Sibashvili – became the deputy head of Gurjaani district police department. In 2002-2003 Gocha Sibashvili was patrol inspector in Gurjaani district. In January of 2009 the nephew of Giorgi Sibashvili – Giorgi Sibashvili was also employed at the Gurjaani police department.
On January 27 2009 Davit Katamashvili, friend of vice-governor was appointed as Gurjaani district deputy governor. In 2001-2004 Katamashvili was inspector of the Kakheti office of Chamber of Control and head of Tax-Payers of the Telavi Regional Tax Inspection. As it was reported, Katamashvili wrote resignation letter after the regional prosecutor’s office started investigation against him. Sibashvili does not hide that Katamashvili is his protégé.

Sibashvili actively interferes in HR issues in public agencies though it does not go into the competence of the Kakheti regional administration. In May of 2009 Khatuna Papunashvili was fired from the position of the head of Gurjaani office of the Agency for Social Subsidies. Close friend of Sibashvili Leila Murakashvili, publisher of the regional newspaper “Progress”, occupied her place.

Giorgi Sibashvili’s friend and classmate Zaza Gabitashvili was employed as a lawyer in the agency; when Sibashvili became the Gurjaani district governor, Gabitashvili was working in the district administration.

Ketevan Beriashvili, friend of vice-regional governor’s brother, is director of the public school in Vazisubani village. Former director of the school Nona Achuashvili said that she was fired because of request of Giorgi Sibashvili and Kakheti regional administration.

Rusudan Mamulashvili, wife of Sibashvili’s friend Davit Papuashvili, is director of public school in the village of Gurjaani. Former director of the school Marine Utiashvili said that Rusudan Mamulashvili was the head of the Board of Trustees at the school and employment contract with Utiashvili was ceased according to the order of deputy regional governor. It must be mentioned that 16 people applied for the position of the school director and most of them had better qualifications than Mamulashvili.

Several days ago, Shalva Mindishvili, nephew of Nargiz Mindiashvili, who is business partner of Sibashvili, was employed as a specialist of the Supervision Department at the Kakheti regional administration. However, short time ago, the employees of the regional administration were trained. The governor dismissed those people who could not gain enough points and among them Zita Imanova, lawyer of the regional administration who gained enough points. In accordance to the Law of Georgia on Public Service competition was to be held for vacant places. The competition was not held but there are no vacant places at the administration.

Archil Khandamashvili, a relative of Kakheti vice-regional governor, is manager of Gurjaani district office of People’s Bank.

It was the short list of the relatives, acquaintances and friends of Sibashvili who work at public agencies in Kakheti.

Sibashvili’s comments on the fact are the following:

“I worked in Gurjaani district administration in 1993-2002 on various positions. 9 years are enough time to study the district thoroughly. That means, it was not difficult to make friends with many people.

For the parliamentary elections on May 21, 2008 I was not running the election HQ but leading it. I was the chairperson of the HQ and head of election campaign.

My brother - Gocha Sibashvili has never been the deputy head of Police Department. On February 9 2008 he occupied the position of the head of district inspectors in Gurjaani police department. And it happened before the election campaign and not after it.

My nephew successfully passed the competition, as well as the training course at the Police Academy and now he works as an ordinary policeman but not in Gurjaani police department.

I have commented several times about the head of Gurjaani district educational resource center and Gurjaani district deputy governor.

I have nothing to do with either firing the former head of resource center or employing a new one in it. To tell the truth, former head Khatuna Papunashvili is my relative but it would be nicer if we review the articles about her published by the Kakheti News Center that has been reduced since she resigned. The new head of the Resource Center is a journalist and according to the information the abovementioned articles aimed at….

I confirm that Zaza Gabitashvili is my old friend. He is a very good lawyer and he took the competition most successfully for the vacant position of a lawyer in the Agency for Subsidies. (By the way, my closest relative also took part in the competition but he could not comply with the demands of the competition).

The directors of the public schools in Vazisubani and Gurjaani were fired based on the conclusion of the General Inspection of the Ministry of Education. The new people were selected by the Ministry. By the way, Kakheti News Center and Kakheti office of the Human Rights Center systematically published articles about the violations committed by the former directors of the schools last year.

Before I occupied the position of the deputy regional governor, I really was running the “Barrister Ltd” but I did not have similar business partner.

Every new employee of the regional administration is temporarily hired and they will take the competition like every applicant.”

Sibashvili requested to publish his comments without any changes. Although under the law we are not obliged to satisfy the request of the regional governor we did it.

The deputy governor said he does not exclude the possibility to enjoy his right and speak about these and many other questions with the representatives of both regional and national media sources.

“Yes, I agree and I admit that I have detailed information about every resident of the district. I also consider myself to be a person who is proud of his pure present and past. So, let those people condemn me who are more decent than I am. But I do not mean you in those people because in this article you repeat the statements of other people.

I know much more than people expect I do…

Fighting for result through lawful methods and directly is very amusing, interesting and I am getting more competitive.

Let us see what results we will have. I also like scandals,” it is the end of Sibashvili’s e-mail to me.

Factual governor of Gurjaani Police department is really brother of deputy regional governor. The chairpersons of district administrations often visit the police department and agree HR issues with Gocha Sibashvili. As for Giorgi Sibashvili’s statement that Nargiz Mindiashvili is not his business partner, the husband of Nargiz Mindiashvili worked that the “Barrister Ltd”. Besides that, Sibashvili still runs the Ltd and it is violation of the law.

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