Former company of the Head of Supervision Service of the City Hall wins tenders in Zugdidi

The former company of Lasha Jaiani, the Head of the Supervision and Architecture Service of the Zugdidi City Hall – Evromsheni 999 LLC – has taken part in more than 70 tenders in 2016-2018 and won 39 of them. The absolute majority (35) of the contracts were concluded with the Zugdidi Municipal Administration and its legal successor, the Zugdidi City Hall. The total value of the contracts is GEL 1,628,151. In November 2018, Evromsheni 999 LLC also concluded simplified contracts with the value of GEL 29,773 with the Zugdidi City Hall.

Lasha Jaiani was appointed as the Head of the Supervision and Architecture Service of the Zugdidi City Hall in November 2017. Prior to that (from November 2016), he held the position of the Head of the Construction Service at the Zugdidi Municipal Administration.

Lasha Jaiani founded Evromsheni 999 LLC in May 2016, when he was both the owner of 100% of the stake and director of the company. After being appointed as the Head of the Construction Service of the Zugdidi Municipal Administration (in November 2016), he ceded the 100% stake in the company and the director’s position to Dima Jghamaia without any payment.

It was precisely from November 2016 that Evromsheni 999 LLC started to participate in tenders. Before that, the company hadn’t participated in any public procurements and tenders.

In 27 out of 35 tenders won at the Zugdidi Municipal Administration and the City Hall, Lasha Jaiani was a member of the Tendering Commission. However, in all of these cases, as a member of the Tendering Commission, Jaiani indicated by signing a document that he didn’t have a conflict of interest with Evromsheni 999 LLC.

In the view of TI Georgia, Evromsheni 999 LLC’s winning the tenders and the aforementioned circumstances raise doubts and questions regarding an alleged corrupt deal, to which the Zugdidi City Hall should give a full and comprehensive reply.

In addition, we call upon the State Audit Office to study the issue of the lawfulness of Evromsheni 999 LLC’s winning the tenders announced by the Zugdidi Municipal Administration and the Zugdidi City Hall.
(TI Georgia)