Georgia’s Enguri HPP vows legal action against opposition over "fake" electoral manipulation allegations

The administration of the Enguri Hydro Power Plant, Georgia’s largest electricity producer which also supplies the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in the country’s north-west, on Thursday said it would pursue legal action over “false” allegations made by the United National Movement opposition party on alleged electoral violations.

During a press briefing earlier on Thursday, Ana Tsitlidze, the Head of the UNM regional office in Zugdidi in western Georgia, accused Levan Mebonia, the Director of the Enguri HPP, of being instructed to confiscate identification documents from pro-opposition employees to prevent them from participating in the general elections on October 26.

Tsitlidze further alleged Mebonia was engaged in negotiations with Russian occupation forces to close the Enguri Bridge - the only passage from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region to Tbilisi-controlled territory - on October 24, 25, and 26, to prevent internally displaced persons from voting.

In response, the Enguri HPP administration “categorically denied” the claims, calling the accusations of ID confiscation “entirely false and misleading”.

This is a blatant lie. No such event has ever occurred, and thus no ‘evidence’ exists”, the administration said.

Reacting to accusations of colluding with Russian occupiers to close the Enguri Bridge, the administration called it “absurd and baseless” and claimed Tsitlidze was “leading a campaign aimed at discrediting not only Levan Mebonia but also Enguri HPP LLC and its employees”. 

The administration pointed out the opposition representative had made “similar slanderous remarks” in the past and stressed, “we reserve the right to refer the matter to the relevant authorities to ensure these statements are thoroughly investigated and a legal response is provided”.