AES office was attacked twice during the last two weeks. On August 14, company’s financial manager Nika Lominadze was found dead in his parents’ house with one bullet wound in his head. Company’s management believes that Nika Lominadze was assassinated because of his professional activities. The law enforcers do not make any comments concerning the murder case, only saying, “investigation is ongoing.”
As Ignacio Iribarren has informed, on September 9 the AES-Telasi office received threat letter in Russian language. Anonymous author of the letter was intimidating, saying that the company will have troubles unless it leaves the country.
Criminal situation around AES causes serious concern among the company’s management. On August 20, vice-president of the AES Garry Levesley visited Tbilisi, demanding from the Georgian authorities to investigate the murder case of Nika Lominadze in the nearest future. He promised that FBI would be involved in investigation of death of the financial manager.
As Irakli Melashvili, lobbyist of AES Telasi, says, attacks on the American company are deliberately planned to threaten the company. “Even police officers were participating in some of the cases of attacks on AES employees,” Melashvili claims. However, Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili says that the company does not have any evidence of policemen involvement in the attacks.
Paata Gomelauri, Spokesman of the Interior Ministry’s press service, said that Narchemashvili has promised Ignacio Iribarren fast resolution of the murder case. They have also agreed that the company will communicate any fact of criminal activities directly to the Minister.
A campaign against AES-Telasi started right after the company entered Georgia to rent the Tbilisi electric power distribution system for 99 years since January 5, 1999. AES also controls the power facilities in Gardabani, where the company AES-Mtkvari was created. The company also tries to gain shares in Tbilisi gas distribution system.
Most analysts concede that transferring the management of Tbilisi’s crumbling power infrastructure to the business company is vital for installing at least minimal standards of efficiency, improving management and rehabilitating the infrastructure. However, many political forces have been criticizing the government for ‘selling off’ the strategic company to the foreign investor.
Popular discontent towards AES-Telasi has grown after the company increased electricity rates in Tbilisi. Its last decision to increase the tax by 1,3 Tetris (0,6 cents) has been adopted on August 13 with consent of the Georgian National Electricity Regulation Commission, however the Ministry of Justice recently claimed certain irregularities were discovered in promulgation of this decision.
By Goga Chanadiri, Civil Georgia