Court discussions over Center Point Case
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, July 13
Tbilisi City Court will discuss the imposition of punishment to the charged persons in the Center Point Construction Company case.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia launched an investigation against company employees Salome Charkviani and founder of the Center Point Group, Maia Rcheulishvili, and her son Guram Rcheulishvili, for fraud and misspending on July 11.
The sales manager of the company, Salome Charkviani, is exercising the right to remain silent and says her signature was forged. She wrote a letter from the remand centre, explaining she was innocent.
The father of Charkviani does not rule out that his daughter might have signed some documents recklessly on the instruction of the company's founders.
The family stressed that Charkviani had no access to the finances and she is innocent. They also released a statement saying this case is not politically motivated as the founders stated the previous day.
“The funds taken from the company had been spent by the founders and Salome Charkviani has nothing to do with it,” the statement reads.
Moreover, the lawyer of Charkviani, Marika Pkhaladze, said that Charkviani was ready to cooperate with the investigation and there was no need to put her in prison. She proposed 10,000 GEL for bail.
The founder of Center Point Group, Maia Rcheulishvili, responded to the statement of the Charkvianis family. She says the investigation is trying to use Charkviani against her. However, she confirmed that the sales manager has not misappropriated any money from the company.
“Salome Charkviani is a hostage of the Prosecutor’s Office…I confirm that during her work period and even after, she had not misappropriated any company funds,” commented Rcheulishvili.
Moreover, Guram Rcheulishvili is still missing, and the Prosecution is going to declare him wanted. The lawyer and the family say that no contact has been established with Guga Rcheulishvili.
Teimuraz Jgaladze, the lawyer of another detained director Irakli Mindeli, also says Mindeli had no access to the company funds and is going to offer 20, 000 GEL for bail.
The criminal persecution against the representatives of Center Point Group was launched under the second part of the article 182 of the Criminal Code, which implies imprisonment from seven to eleven years for fraud and misspending. Overall, the case refers to the embezzlement of more than 20 000 000 GEL during the construction work of the White Magnolia residential complex in Batumi.
