Aggrieved property buyers protest against unfinished apartments

More than 300 individuals who suffered losses at the hands of building company Centre Point Group, held a manifestation in front of Parliament building, on April 28. They demanded the launching of an investigation on Centre Point Group by the Prosecutors’ office, fulfilling all conditions written in the memorandums between the company and its clients or returning their money.

As the participants of the demonstration stated for The Messenger, they have already addressed all adequate institutions and organs to defend their rights, however, most of the bodies, including the Tbilisi Mayor's office have not paid attention to their problem. As they said, most of those 6200 persons affected are living abroad, for years they have been working hard and saving money to buy flats in Tbilisi, but they are currently unable to return as their properties are not completed. According to them, even those flats which have been completed by the company are dangerous because low grade materials were used in the building process. They also underlined that the court is partial and most of its decisions were pro Centre Point Group, “they are cheating us, they have had 6 years to complete my flat but they have done nothing. They are demanding an additional sum to bring the building to an end, which is absolutely unacceptable and unjust, “Mzia Koniashvili, said. According to another demonstrator, “we have already addressed everyone, who can make a response on the issue, from the President’s administration to the prosecutor's office. 6200 persons have been mistreated and they say that we should address the court; however the court is not fair and does not make just decisions. That company DEXUS, which had taken responsibility for Centre Point Group’s issues, is suggesting new memorandums, without any guarantees and all lawyers advise us not to sign them. At the same time they are demanding an additional sum and VAT“, Giorgi Mikaberidze told The Messenger. According to one more of the victims, Mamuka Melkadze, there were cases when one of the clients won the trial, “however the problem is that the court demanded the company to compensate the damage to the man in a year, which is a very long time and no one knows what might happen in this period. It is possible, that in a year DEXUS will not exist any more, or something like this.”

Oppositional representatives also gathered at the meeting. As the member of Our Georgia Free Democrats, Zurab Abashidze said, he had come to demonstrate as a sign of support to those people, whose rights are being violated. However he is not hopeful that the prosecutor’s office will assist the people gathered there, “I doubt that the prosecutor’s office will make such a decision against themselves. Everything will be in its place when the current authorities are removed, “Abashidze told the Messenger.

As one of the leaders of Republican Party, Tina Khidasheli told The Messenger, “these people have very logical demands, they demand either fulfilling the duties of the company or their money back. They demand that there must be guarantees in the memorandums of this.”

The affairs of Centre Point Group, which has gone bankrupt, were taken over by DEXUS. As the company leadership has stated, the building process on different objects have already restarted and the company is ready to fulfil its duties. They have not commented about the demonstration however.