Controversy over Tbilisi Botanical Garden continues
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Wednesday, May 11
The Mayor of Tbilisi, Davit Narmania, will visit Tbilisi City Hall and hold a discussion over the National Botanical Garden of Georgia issue on May 17.
Member of the United National Movement (UNM) Irakli Abesadze stated that Narmania and members of government have been lying to society for more than 20 days about Tbilisi Botanical Garden.
“Narmania stated after selling Botanical Garden territories, that society will get benefits from the move. However, we all know that this is a lie. The only person who will get benefits after selling this place,will be former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili,” stated Abesaze.
A total of 29 hectares of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, which is located in the historical part of Tbilisi and stretches for more than 100 hectares - across which the Krtsanisi-Shindisi road had to be constructed - have been auctioned off for 6, 32 million GEL to the Georgian Co-Investment Fund on May 3. Ivanishvili was the founder of the Fund.
Narmania stated that he did not know beforehand that the Georgian Co-Investment Fund would win the auction.
“The decision was aimed at the further development of this territory in regard to environmental, economic and tourist direction. These actions will give additional benefits to Tbilisi Botanical Garden,” stressed Narmania.
Abesadze called on Narmania and recommended that him to resign.
“It is clear that such corrupt deals should not take place in democratic countries. Ivanishvili is making Georgian society suffer another loss. He only thinks about his own interests and this time he decided to destroy one of the core recreational zones in this overcrowded city,” stated Abesadze.
According to him, the UNM will attend the meeting on May 17.
“We will attend this discussion and make Narmania answer all the questions he was avoiding answering for such a long time. Georgian society will once again see the real face of Georgian Dream (GD),” stated Abesadze.
