Former head of Manuscript Centre faces troubles
By Thea Mariamidze
Friday, May 22
The Minister of Education and Science Tamar Sanikidze stated that the Prosecutor’s Office may become interested in the activities of the former Director of the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, Buba Kudava.
In her statement, she said that personnel from the Ministry’s Audit Service are already in the National Centre of Manuscripts office studying the activities of the former director.
Sanikidze spoke about certain infringements within the centre, concerning management, distribution of salaries, vacations, budget and many other issues in the office.
“The audit studies will reveal the kind of manager that Buba Kudava was. As we already know there were some infringements during his tenure and I do not exclude the possibility that the Prosecutor’s Office will become involved in the case,” Sanikidze stressed.
She also spoke about the protest from the side of employees of the National Manuscript Centre, who were demanding the return of Buba Kudava to his post.
The employees also demand that the directors be chosen by the employees themselves, which according to Sanikidze is out of line with established protocols.
“Kudava was dismissed because his working term has expired and if he wants to be re-elected, he may stand for the office in the future through the basis of competition along with the other applicants,” she added.
Buba Kudava believes that his dismissal is a political retribution.
He thinks that the recent campaign of the Ministry of Education has one aim - to put psychological pressure on him.
The former Director of the National Manuscripts Centre states that he is ready to cooperate in the case if the prosecutor’s Office has any questions for him, and maintains that he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
“It is clear that this is a smear campaign against me. This is the Bolshevik method of removing an unwanted person,” he said.
The current Head of the National Manuscripts Centre Zaza Abashidze says that he was not informed about the recent events. He hopes that Buba Kudava is innocent and did not commit any breaches of the law.
