Another Mayor’s Office official detained for corruption
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Thursday, March 5
First Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi Alexandre Margishvili is said to be replacing first Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Dimitri Kumsishvili. The media speculate that the decision has already been made. However, no official announcement has been made.
Margishvili will be appointed as the Head of Entrepreneurship Support Center.
The reshuffle came after the detention of the head of the Mayor’s office Supervision Department Jokia Bodokia for taking a large bribe.
The opposition claims that Margishvili and even Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania were linked to the deal.
However, coalition members dismiss these speculations, describing Margishvili and Narmania as professionals who having nothing to do with corruption deals. There are some other non-GD members working at City Hall like Soso Manjavidze, who believe that Margishvili was dismissed because of his lack of new ideas and vision.
Meanwhile, the law-enforcement officials have revealed a new corruption scandal in the Mayor’s Office. Chief Specialist at Saburtalo District Administration Mikheil Kviria was detained for taking a 10, 000 USD bribe from the citizens of India and Iraq in return for permission to purchase land near Tbilisi.
The opposition states that the Mayor’s office has turned into a nest of corruption.
UNM member in City Hall Sevdia Ugrekhelidze advised Narmania to dismiss the whole government of Tbilisi.
“Tbilisi needs a new government, as the current Tbilisi authorities are involved in corruption,” stated Ugrekhelidze.
Narmania has not made a comment regarding the fact. Deputy Governor of the Saburtalo District Luka Kankava said that he could not speak about details.
“I don’t want to violate the presumption of innocence, but the fact itself is very unpleasant,” stated Kankava.
