A corruption scheme detected in the sphere of public health in Georgia

Constitutors of "Express-Diagnostika" company in Tbilisi have been detained for misappropriation of state finance. They are accused of legalization of illegal income (money laundering) and forgery of the customs documentation. 

"Express-Diagnostika" limited company which had won a tender within the program of providing the population with specific medications, in particular, delivery of food additives for children and teen-agers suffering from phenylketonuria, received 2,23 million lari from state budget. 

Teimuraz Azikuri, Revaz Takaishvili and Paata Gamtsemlidze were detained for accusation of having misappropriated 660 thousand lari (almost 400 thousand dollars). Zaza Kachibaya, Chief of Anti-corruption Department Prosecutor General's of Georgia reported that the detained were accused of legalization of illegal income and forgery of the customs documentation. 

Representatives of Georgian Prosecutor General's state that the detained had cooperated with manufacturers and distributors of the production.

In the invoices the detained had indicated a price of the production artificially overrated by almost 30% and received the misappropriated money by cash in Austria and Czechia. They had illegally brought the money to Georgia in trunks, "Georgia-Online" reports.  

In case if the guilt of those detained is confirmed they may be sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment, "Novosti-Georgia" adds. 

It should be reminded that in April Anti-corruption Department of Georgian Prosecutor General's detained Giorgy Sibashvili, Head of "Nugeshi" company. A charge of forgery of the customs documents for the purpose of theft of state finance to a sum of 1,7 million lari within the program of providing children and teen-agers ill with haemophilia with specific medications was brought against him. 

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported several corruption scandals in which physicians and the personnel of Georgian Ministry of Public Health were involved. 

In particular, on October, 10, 2010, it emerged that eleven physicians suspected of regular issuing forged medical certificates and expert's reports for cash award were detained in Tbilisi. 

In the beginning of October, 2010, the personnel of Department of Constitutional Security of the Georgian Ministry of Interior Affairs detained Amiran Skhiereli, Deputy on Sakrebulo of Oni region (Western Georgia, the district of Racha Lechkhumi) on accusation of extorting a large sum of money. 

In September, 2010, Koka Pruidze, ex-Deputy Minister of Public Heath and Social Protection of Georgia, was detained for suspicion of involvement in a corrupt transaction connected with the choice of the tender winner within the program of vaccination.