Tbilisi. According to the Transparency International Georgia the Court Fullfiled a Political Order by Punishing Nika Gvaramia - the Head of the Critical Media. “Based on the study of the case materials and observation of the court process, we can conclude that the case is politically motivated. It aims to punish Nika Gvaramia and disrupt the activities of a critical media outlet. The use of the justice system for media censorship and intimidation sends a clear message to other critical media outlets as well. This verdict is a continuation of the political persecution that has been waged against Government’s opponents for years”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Samegrelo. Transparency International Georgia publishes the blogpost: Companies of uncle and cousin of the Mayor of Senaki win local tenders. “Five tenders announced by the Senaki City Hall in March 2022, whose total value amounts to GEL 2 614 550 were won without competition by JSC Arkeopolisi, a company owned by Demur Gadelia, the uncle of the Mayor of Senaki Vakhtang Gadelia, and Indiko LLC, a company of Ioseb Gadelia, the Mayor’s cousin. The Head of the Administration Service of the Senaki City Hall, Nana Zarandia, is also connected with Arkeopolisi JSC. She is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Tendering Commission of the Senaki City Hall and has signed documents stating that she does not have a conflict of interest in relation to JSC Arkeopolisi and Indiko LLC. TI Georgia calls on the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service to study the process of participation of JSC Arkeopolisi and Indiko LLC in the tenders of the Senaki City Hall and to establish whether or not it contains possible signs of corruption”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On May 11, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia and Prevention for Progress, a non-governmental organization, presented a joint report “Impact of Covid 19 on the Health and Other Rights of Prisoners and Staff of the Penitentiary System”. The study assesses the impact of special measures taken by the Special Penitentiary Service from March 2020 through 2021 on the rights situation of prisoners. “The results of the study show that restrictions were overused during the pandemic period and no appropriate efforts were made to find possible alternative solutions. No appropriate steps were taken by the state institution to reduce the number of prisoners”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. According to the IDFI International organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annually publishes Global Press Freedom index results and rankings for 180 countries in the world. Results and estimations for 2022 became available to the public today.  Index for 2022 shows significant worsening of freedom of media in Georgia compared to last year. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Transparency International Georgia periodically looks into the practice of “revolving door” in Georgia. “Revolving door” refers to the movement of individuals between public-sector and private-sector jobs, that involves risks of corruption and conflicts of interest. This time around, TI Georgia have exposed such fact in the Borjomi municipality. “When Piran Gogichaishvili, the owner of Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC (Construction and Design LLC), was appointed to a position in the Borjomi City Council in 2018, he transferred his company to Vasil Mchedlidze for free. However, in 2022, after his term of office expired, the former City Council member reclaimed the company. As it transpired, Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC and a sole entrepreneur, Vasil Mchedlidze, received GEL 2,203,460 through 52 public procurement contracts awarded by the Borjomi municipality over the period between 2018 and 2021”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia analyzed the business interests of Tbilisi City Assembly members. It revealed cases of alleged political corruption, incomplete declaration of business activities, and other essential facts that may be of interest to voters. “15 of the 29 public officials in the Tbilisi City Council filled in the asset declarations improperly; 16 members of the Georgian Dream faction in Tbilisi City  Council donated an identical amount of money (5-10 000 GEL) to the party on the same day (October 12, 2021), amounting to a total of 115,000 GEL; 23 of the 50 members of the Tbilisi City Council have business ties. 12 of them are public officials; TI Georgia urges Civil Service Bureau of Georgia to review the violations found in the asset declarations of public officials below and respond in accordance with the law”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender submitted alternative report on enforcement of rulings taken against Georgia by European Court and UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Parliament of Georgia. “The alternative report reviews the general measures taken by the State to enforce the rulings delivered by the European Court of Justice against Georgia in the following cases: Tsintsabadze Group, Identity Group, N.Ts. and Others v. Georgia, Amiridze v. Georgia, and Merabishvili v. Georgia. In addition, the report assesses the general measures taken against Georgia by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in the case of Khanum Jeiranova. The document analyzes the adequacy of the steps taken by the State for the enforcement of the rulings”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Social Justice Center,s report envelopes the administered cases and their respective analyses within the framework of the project "Legal Aid Network for Activists" in the period from the beginning of 2021 through March 2022. see more... source: socialjustice.org

Tbilisi. TI Georgia has studied the expenses of 9 administrations of State Representatives in 2021, which amounted to GEL 5,567,583 in total. “It should be noted that the institution of State Representative does not fulfill any critical functions for the functioning of the state, while the existing practice shows that the influence of State Representatives on municipalities is high – they often interfere in the activities of mayors and city councils elected directly and considerably limit their independence. In a situation where the level of decentralization is low, the institution of State Representative is an important lever for the central authorities for exercising formal or informal control over municipalities”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the blogpost: Grape Harvest and Elections - Overview of the State Subsidy Program for Grape Harvest. According to the organization, in 2021, the government subsidized the grape harvest with GEL 138 million in total. “The process of subsidizing the grape harvest reveal a number of corruption-related problems, including giving a preference to companies that have donated to the ruling party and those with links to high-ranking officials. The main amount of the subsidy was transferred to the state-owned Crop Management Company LLC, which mostly announces simplified procurements that are mainly obtained by companies loyal to the Georgian Dream. From the 83 companies that were registered for subsidies at the Wine Agency, 31 belong to current or former members of the Georgian Dream or have links with them and their families, these 31 companies were given an amount of GEL 30 343 512, which equals 22% of the total subsidy”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia shares the article that showcases specific facts about the business interests of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party and the informal ruler of Georgia, and his family members - in Russia. “Bidzina Ivanishvili misled the public when he said he would sell his businesses in Russia because: He continued to own at least 10 Russian companies through offshore entities in 2012-2019, which further branched out into an even wider network of subsidiaries; Ivanishvili owns at least 1 company in Russia (Aqua-Space Ltd) through one of his offshore companies; Despite formally leaving politics, Bidzina Ivanishvili retains influence over Georgia's ruling party and a number of key institutions, which are still headed by people who had worked for his companies or directly for his family”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information publishes the survey: Overview of the implementation by Georgia of the recommendations on fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. “Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has been met with economic and financial sanctions from the civilized world. Effective enforcement of sanctions policy requires maximum transparency in order to expose hidden finances and prevent the misuse of beneficial ownership to avoid sanctions. This document provides an overview of problematic issues related to money laundering and beneficial ownership in Georgia and presents examples of best practices in this area from across the world”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On April 1-3, IDFI conducted a two-day training on effective oversight and data extraction methods. The training was attended by journalists and civil activists from different regions of Georgia - a total of 16 participants. “Theoretical and practical training included tips and recommendations – detection of public procurement fraud, budget spending and oversight, extraction of knowledge from open government data, and more. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information on vital issues in the context of the transparency of Beneficial ownership, as well as familiarize themselves with international platforms for investigative/data journalists and watchdogs”. Learn more… Source: idfi.ge

Samegrelo. According to the information of TI Georgia, Dagi LLC, a company of Dato Adamia, a former member of the Senaki City Council from the Georgian Dream, currently participates in public procurements with changed registration data. “Since June 2021, Dagi has had a new name – Menati – and during this period it has obtained contracts with a total value of GEL 1,389,507 through the procurements of the Senaki Municipality, including a contract worth GEL 416,614 that Menati obtained in March 2022, when it won a tender announced by the Senaki City Hall. TI Georgia calls on the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service to study each of the procurements of Menati LLC and Dagi LLC (until June 2021) and to establish whether or not they contain possible signs of corruption”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Adjara. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, within the framework of the Short-term Observation Mission 2022, informs the public about the results of the observation of Election Day. “According to GYLA`s observers, regulations concerning the control over the will of voters, in particular, rules on the gathering, physical obstruction, and counting of voters, were violated numerous times throughout the day. Influential figures, such as MPs and members of Tbilisi and municipality Sakrebulos from the Georgian Dream, UNM, and other political parties were also present. Their presence near the polling stations increased the risk of influencing the will of voters. In addition, several cases of agitation were observed. Those violations were related to both of the running parties”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information publishes the blogpost: Tendencies of Russian Disinformation in Georgia Along with the War in Ukraine. “The scope, as well as the tone of Russian disinformation, has increased and strengthened after the aggressive invasion of Russia in Ukrainian territory. We could observe locally, in the Georgian language, disinformation narratives being spread in different directions. The disinformation narratives are adding up to the bigger informational weapon of Russia about its greatness and invincibility that has been used in the region for years now”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. According to the information of Transparency International Georgia in 2017-2021, Georgian state agencies have signed 96 large contracts worth GEL 135 million mainly with foreign companies for the procurement of legal services related to international arbitration disputes. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Samegrelo. According to the information of the City Hall of the Chkhorotsku Municipality procured the service of transportation of pupils of public schools of Chkhorotsku from Salome 92 LLC, a company founded two months before the procurement, in January 2022. The value of the contract awarded to this company is GEL 207,197. The owners of equal stakes of 50% in Salome 92 LLC are Salome and Jambul Papava, who have links with the ruling party. Jambul Papava is a coordinator of the Georgian Dream party. According to the organization, The companies owned by Salome Papava, an employee of the City Hall of Chkhorotsku, and his father, Jambul Papava, have obtained public procurements worth GEL 1,080,842 from the Chkhorotsku Municipality since 2012. “TI Georgia believes that the involvement of Salome 92 LLC and general partnership Jambul Papava in the public procurements of the Chkhorotsku Municipality raises doubts about the lawfulness of the process. Therefore, we call on the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service to study each of the procurements and to establish whether or not they contain possible signs of corruption.” Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia published the survey report: Simplified Public Procurement during COVID-19: The analysis of basic data and risks of corruption. “From June 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, Georgia’s government agencies signed up to 21,000 large simplified public procurement contracts with a total value of up to GEL 1.7 billion. Simplified procurements on Covid-19-related needs amounted to about GEL 715 million. Out of the GEL 1.7 billion, GEL 1.2 billion was spent on the grounds of holding an event of state and public importance and urgent necessity. Out of the simplified public procurements of GEL 1.7 billion, donors of the Georgian Dream and the presidential candidate supported by the party, Salome Zurabishvili, obtained contracts worth GEL 156 million. This amount was distributed among 210 companies and 11 natural persons that donated more than GEL 14 million – directly or through their affiliates – to the Georgian Dream in the years 2013-2021, including up to GEL 5 million after the start of the pandemic”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. This report of the Coalition for Equality is a critique of social protection programs and social protection policies administered by central and local governments concerning various vulnerable groups. The Social Justice Center, together with partner organizations, identified the main challenges that exist in the field of social protection of persons with disabilities and prepared relevant recommendations for government agencies. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia assessed parliamentary oversight of the Government's performance related to the management of the pandemic during the period between 21 March 2020 and 31 December 2021, and the results of the decision to delegate power restricting fundamental human rights from the legislature to the Government. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Parliament of Georgia failed to carry out effective control of the Government’s performance. The report identified all the shortcomings of the parliamentary oversight over the executive in Georgia.  Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the report: Anatomy of Georgian Neo-Nazism. “This report by Transparency International Georgia aims to identify the Neo-Nazi groups and associated persons that have recently expressed aggression and exerted violent behavior towards liberal groups. It is difficult to identify them and come up with an exhaustive list since most of these persons belong to informal and unstructured groups. While it is true that it’s not possible to identify the direct funding source of the Neo-Nazi organizations, individual leaders have a direct connection to the Russian government and local political organizations”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge