State Audit Office finds violations in municipalities’ financial documents
The Audit Office sent financial documents of municipalities to the General Prosecutor’s office. Photo: State Audit Office of Georgia.
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The State Audit Office of Georgia has released reports on possible financial crimes and violations in several municipalities of Georgia.
The Audit Office sent financial documents of municipalities of Kutaisi, Samtredia, Rustavi, Khobi, Sachkhere and Tsalenjikha to the General Prosecutor’s office.
For instance, a state tender in Samtredia was found to have signs of fraud.
In 2017, Samtredia municipality announced a state tender, where only two companies participated – the Audit Office discovered that the owners of the companies were an uncle and his nephew.
Several decisions made by the mayor of Kutaisi are under investigation as well – the reports revealed that Kutaisi City Hall spent approximately 4.3 million GEL to build a shelter. However, no families have been settled there and the building is still uninhabited.
Moreover, Kutaisi City Hall spent 715 600 Gel ineffectively, without supporting any evidence in the years 2015-2017.
The Audit Office also found out that Kutaisi City Hall spent more than 168,200 GEL on drain pipes on Kutaisi’s Asatiani Street that do not work effectively.
The report also shows violations in Rustavi Municipality – Rustavi City Hall did not charge a company with a penalty for breach of contract, although work on the right branch of the Mtkari river were not finished.
Moreover, Rustavi City Hall delayed the deadline of the project several times over.
Violations were revealed in Khobi as well. Although the municipality has paid for the restoration of a bridge in Sajijao village, the project is not finished yet and locals cannot use the bridge. However the company responsible was not fined.
Similar violations were discovered in Sachkhere and Tsalenjikha Municipalities.
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