Financial Police Investigate the Gurjaani District Administrative Board

Kakheti Financial Police are investigating the Gurjaani District Administrative Board. They have initiated a criminal investigation into whether officials have misappropriated state funds in the guise of infrastructure development. Ana Kutibashvili, Chief of the Financial Service Department, strongly denies the allegations. She points out that auditors from the financial police, Lado Gvaramia and others, are investigating the expenditures of the Gurjaani Administrative Board and not the board itself. She says that the Financial Police do not have permission to investigate the board.

The head of the Financial Police, Zurab Avazashvili, says, "A concerned citizen reported that the Gurjaani Administrative Board was misappropriating funds to the Financial Police, and this resulted in a formal investigation being launched. A court has approved a search and investigation of these expenditures."

According to information on the street, the local government is trying to cover up their misappropriation of funds.  Financial police do not rule out the possibility that high-ranking officials, including Akaki Sixarulidze, Zaza Natsvlishvili, Levan Mekerishvili and others could be detained.