Tbilisi city hall official resigns after arrest of deputy over electrocution incident that killed minor
Giga Gigashvili, the head of the Tbilisi city hall environmental protection service, on Wednesday cited “moral responsibility” for his resignation. Photo: Tbilisi city hall press office
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Giga Gigashvili, the head of the Tbilisi city hall environmental protection service, on Wednesday announced his resignation following the arrest of his deputy, along with eight others, on charges of professional neglect that claimed the life of one minor and injured two others in an electrocution incident in the city’s Vake Park last week.
Citing “moral responsibility”, the official who has been chairing the service since 2017 said he would cooperate with the investigation of the incident.
Mayor Kakha Kaladze observed a minute of silence during Wednesday’s city hall meeting in memory of the 13-year-old girl who died after being electrocuted in the water of the park’s newly renovated fountain by an exposed wire.
Kaladze vowed he was “ready to take responsibility [and resign] if even the slightest fault of mine is revealed'' in the case, with the investigation ongoing.
He also instructed his body to re-inspect all renovation and construction work in the municipality that has involved Mshenexpert company, which investigators have said drafted a “fake conclusion” for the handover of the renovation work in the park to the city hall.
Everything must be done now to prevent such tragedies”, Kaladze said.
Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze said that he was “ready to take responsibility [and resign] if even the slightest fault of mine is revealed'. Photo: Tbilisi city hall press office.
In response to calls by a part of the domestic opposition for his resignation, and requests to attend the city hall meeting on Wednesday to “ask questions to the mayor” over the matter, Kaladze said “certain political groups” had been “trying to use the tragedy for their narrow political interests”.
Since the day of the tragedy, the public has been hearing absolutely staggering statements. Unfortunately, there are some political forces that are trying to use the tragedy to benefit their own goals. I can not say more on this question. The public will give a proper response to their actions, I believe”, Kaladze said.
The mayor added it was “painful” to see a city hall employee being arrested in the case, but said “no question marks must be left” over the case.
In his remarks, Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Wednesday a “concrete violation” had led to the incident while no “systemic issues” had been revealed by the investigation. He called the opposition demands for Kaladze’s resignation “pure speculation”.
The interior ministry on Tuesday announced nine individuals had been arrested following initial investigative work over the incident. These include a Tbilisi city hall official, the head of the contractor company that worked on the renovation work of the fountain, employees and representatives of a subcontractor firm, and two welders. Charges filed against them range from violation of safety regulations, professional neglect, incitement to forgery, forgery of official documents and use of forged documentation.
The incident took place last Thursday, when three minors were electrocuted in the newly renovated fountain in the popular park after one of them attempted to retrieve a ball that had fallen into the water.
A 13-year-old girl was taken out of the water before being pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the incident, with a 13-year-old boy currently undergoing hospital treatment after being stabilised from his critical condition. The third child remains under care with minor injuries.