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The News in Brief

Tuesday, July 28
New highway to be constructed in Tbilisi

The presentation of a new highway construction prohject has been held at the Varazis Khevi hotel. Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, Project Chairman Tamaz Shilakadze and Head of the Roads Department Revaz Nikolaishvili attended the presentation.

Ugulava stated that the city hasn’t implemented such a big project for a long time. The new highway will improve traffic flow in the Vake-Saburtalo district and also the environmental situation in Varaziskhevi. The traffic will be improved on Chavchavadze Avenue and Kazbegi, Vazha Pshavela and Pekin streets. Highway construction will also solve the problem of the smell of the stinking canal water which flows into the Vere River in 120 places.

Project author Tamazi Shilakadze stated that the construction works will not touch the Mziuri territory. Five bridges will be stretched over the River Vere and a two-level road junction at the Square of Heroes will take the road from Khiliani Street to Vake.

The highway will be 2,800 metres long and surfaced with concrete. GEL 30.8 million has been allocated from the budget to build it and construction will be finished at the end of 2010.
(Interpressnews)



Constitutional Committee Working Group meetings will be held in August

The Constitutional committee will be holding working group meetings from August, says its Head Avtandil Demetrashvili, who has informed the media of the results of the first 50 days of the Committee’s work.

Demetrashvili stated that priorities had been identified and the Committee represents neither political parties’ nor the Government’s interests. Nine working groups have been created by the Committee who will develop their own approaches to various reforms.
(Interpressnews)



CSD arrests organised crime gang

Officers of the Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have detained Gela Kakhidze, an officer of the Security Police, and Georgian Railway employees Lado Turmanidze and Resan Kakhidze, on suspiciuon of being members of an organised criminal gang. Vepkhia Tabatadze and Malkhaz Gorgadze have also been detained.

The above mentioned persons are accused of systematically stealing goods from sealed containers at Batumi railway station which were being sent to Armenia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. A police search of the suspects’ premises has found construction materials and other goods worth 1,500,000 US dollars. Further searches are being conducted in order to identify other members of the gang.
(Rustavi 2)



Couple drowns in River Rioni

A couple has drowned in the River Rioni in the village of Bash in the Samtredia district.

Akaki Geradze and Aniko Anikidze were going to their plot of land when Aniko Anikadze fell in the river. Her husband Akaki Geradze tried to save her but fell in too. The couple drowned in the full-flowing river, said witnesses.

Rescuers found the body of Aniko Anikidze but were still searching for Akaki Geradze’s
(Interpressnews)



MP urges the Government to summon Anti-Crisis Council

MP Jondi Baghaturia is urging the Government to summon an Anti-Crisis Council of Parliament to discuss the social problems in the country. Jondi Baghaturia says the Ministers of Health and Social Care, Finance and Energy should attend the sessions of this council.

Baghaturia adds that the Tbilisi Mayor should also be involved in the process of solving the social crisis in the country. The MP says he has already prepared a package of measures for crisis resolution, which includes lifting communal taxes and maintaining the incomes of the families of soldiers who died in the August war. The MP has already submitted his proposal to Parliament.
(Rustavi 2)



Conservative Party accuses police of fabricating evidence

One of the leaders of the Conservative Party, Kakha Kukava, has accused law enforcers of violations in Valeri Vakhania’s case.

Vakhania was arrested on March 11, 2009 on charges of preventing the mass media from fulfilling its duties and keeping unlicensed arms. Kakha Kukava has said that these charges were fabricated and that the real grounds for his detention were his plans to found a new political movement which would organise rallies in Zugdidi.

The Conservative Party is demanding the withdrawal of the charges and the release of Vakhania.
(Rustavi 2)