The Georgian NGO Young Barristers publishes scandalous document about Lisi Lake alienation. This document proves, that the State Financial Police has exercised pressure against an young businessman, Ramaz Akhvlediani, who was forced to give up his property secretly at night. 

Archil Kaikatsishvili, the Head of Young Barristers states, that a document of November 4 2006, according to which Ramaz Akhvlediani was giving up his legal property as well as his business “voluntarily” in favor of the State, will be represented during the briefing. The businessman was forced to write an appeal to the Government of Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall. Official date and number of registration given to the application by the local self-government is also attached to the written application. This record shows, that Ramaz Akhvlediani’s written statement to the agencies mentioned above were registered on November 8 – 4 days after its signing. Archil Kaikatsishvili urges, that the document represented on the briefing is the first public demonstration of how documents of giving up private property were being prepared. He also notes, that this document was submitted by the Administration of the President of Georgia to the organization as a result of numerous communications with the Administration regarding the issue.    

During the briefing, Mr. Akhvlediani stated, that on November 6, 2006 he was summoned by the Financial Police of that time and was demanded to transfer his property and business to the State ownership otherwise he or his relatives could suffer. Therefore, Ramaz Akhvlediani was forced to write an appeal to the Government and Tbilisi City Hall and admit that he had failed to fulfill his obligations envisaged by both: 1999 lease agreement and July 16, 2006 Presidential ordinance and accordingly he asked to abolish a lease agreement according to which Lisi Lake territory was transferred to his ownership and which he had already paid off.  Ramaz Akhvlediani   also “refused” to get 63.5 hectares of non-agricultural land determined by Presidential decree as well as different buildings, which he had already paid off from the Ministry of Finances of Georgia. 6 days after making this statement, the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili passed an ordinance according to which, the property purchased in 1999 and given to the businessman through the Presidential ordinance of 2006, had been confiscated from his ownership.   

The documents, researched by the organization, tell that on the ground of the President’s decree of July 14, 2006, 63.5 ha of non-agricultural land, adjacent to Lisi Lake territory, should be transferred to Ramaz Akhvlediani through direct disposal and  267 ha  - to the company “Lisi Lake”. Ramaz Akhvlediani and Mamuka Kharadze were partners of the mentioned company. The conditions, determined by the President’s Decree should have been enforced by December 31, 2006. Namely, the process of Lisi Lake rehabilitation, cleaning of the territory and constructions on the basis of the relevant permit should have been conducted and completed by this time. Despite the fact, that most of these activities were already performed, in November 10, 2006, the President adopted another decree seizing  the property from Akhvlediani’s possession, providing that he has not completed all the activities required by the Decree of July 14, 2006. It should be noted, that the President issued a new decree in the situation, when all the requirement were already fulfilled by Mr. Akhvlediani and in addition, the terms of performance of the duties were determined until December 31,2006 and this term could not obviously be  expired by November. 

“Young Barristers” believes, that confiscation of the property and seizure of the legal business from Ramaz Akhvlediani was an illegal act. He had fulfilled all the obligations, had made an important investment for Lisi Lake  development and reconstruction, but was forced by the Government pressure to give up both, the business and property at the expense of his own and his family members’  safety. The organization and Ramaz Akhvlediani suspect, that a secret deal between his former partner, the “Lisi Lake”, represented by Mamuka Akhvlediani and the Government existed and this facilitated the process of property confiscation legally owned by the businessman. 

The organization considers it relevant to note, that it is going to publish the results of the monitoring over Akhvlediani’s case in November, 2015. Currently the case is under consideration in the Department to Investigate Offences Committed in the Progress of Legal Proceedings.