Authors: Ia Asatiani and Aidan Yusif
Giorgi Zviadadze, the Rector of the Theological Academy, is one of the influential individuals within the Georgian Patriarchate. His authority is evidenced by his connections with government officials and diplomatic representatives. In leaked documents from the State Security Service, Zviadadze’s name appears frequently, often detailing his interactions with ambassadors, involvement in resolving cases, and assistance in securing employment for acquaintances across various sectors.
And his influence extends to his son as well. During an interview, his son disclosed, “Nobody is interested in me, you’re interested in my father.”
Tornike Zviadadze, 34 years old, opted not to pursue a religious calling but instead delved into the business. He started participating in state tenders eleven years ago, with an initial attempt in 2011, which remains incomplete to this day. He made another attempt in 2014 with a different company, yet that tender also remains incomplete. He became actively engaged in state procurement from 2015 onwards.
Zviadadze owns seven companies that have secured over 40 contracts totaling 8.7 million GEL over the past 11 years. Zviadadze’s companies either failed to complete projects worth 2.2 million GEL or performed them inadequately, yet still received money from the state budget. In total, his companies failed to meet the terms of 16 tenders and were blacklisted 14 times, with a significant portion of unfulfilled tenders relating to the asphalting and paving of roads.
His father’s assistance became essential when customers lodged complaints, sometimes due to poorly executed work and, at times, incomplete work. Here’s what is written in the State Security Service leaked materials about the type of assistance he received:
“Giorgi Zviadadze’s son, Tornike, reported encountering issues with projects in the Kakheti region and sought aid through his connections. Giorgi Zviadadze contacted Kakheti’s governor, Irakli Kadagishvili, for support.”
“Giorgi Zviadadze approached Sozar Subari, who requested help extending the tender contract period for his son.”
“The protopresbyter informed his son that he had contacted the deputy head of the State Security Service regarding issues regarding his business activities. They assured him that they would facilitate the completion of ongoing work from a canceled tender.”
“iFact” does not solely rely on records from the SSS. We cross-referenced the information from the leaked records with tender documentation available on the State Procurement Agency’s website. We meticulously investigated this story for seven months to provide a comprehensive account of when and how Tornike Zviadadze leveraged his father’s influence in tenders announced by various municipalities.
Tornike Zviadadze further verifies the authenticity of the conversations and earnestly inquires:
“What does this have to do with my father? Should not my father have made a call? Would you not contact someone you know if your child needed help? Is there anything you can do to assist them within the law?” Tornike Zviadadze poses these questions to us.
Sixteen tenders awarded to Zviadadze’s companies were terminated due to incomplete work and failure to meet deadlines. According to regulations, in such instances, municipalities are required to promptly demand the guarantee amount, impose fines for each day of delay (0.02% of the contract value), and recommend blacklisting to the procurement service. However, in Zviadadze’s case, the municipalities did not adhere to these procedures. Despite exceeding deadlines and incomplete work, they entered into new contracts with his companies.
Contracts with Kharagauli City Hall
Tornike Zviadadze’s company “New Group,” signed nine contracts with Kharagauli City Hall between 2018 and 2019. We inquired with Zviadadze about the inception of his work in Kharagauli.
- “I secured all of them simultaneously. Rustavi was problematic, right? I faced numerous challenges in Tbilisi, too. I accumulated debts and needed to find a solution, and Kharagauli was my solution. I won all the tenders at competitive rates with unprecedented profit margins. Upon my initial arrival in Kharagauli, the City Hall was unsatisfied with the quality of the previous company’s work and was looking forward to our work, anticipating a reputable company capable of delivering miracles.
- And did you deliver worse results?
- “That’s how it unfolded, indeed.”
Out of the nine tenders awarded, the protopresbyter’s son fulfilled only two, and even those with violations and delays. For instance, one contract underwent fourteen amendments to extend the deadline. In another instance, the company’s payment was increased by 50 percent, amounting to 181,000 GEL. This contravenes the law, as the contract between the City Hall and the company stipulates: “The total contract value cannot be increased by more than 10%.”
We tried to uncover the details surrounding these transactions with Kharagauli City Hall. However, the information they provided lacks coherence and fails to align with either the data on the State Procurement Agency’s website or the State Audit Service’s report.
During our interview, we asked Tornike Zviadadze for clarity on this matter. However, his responses were unclear and lacked sound reasoning. He repeatedly dismissed the information in the documents uploaded to the Procurement Agency’s system as untrue. Despite our persistent requests for evidence to substantiate his claims, no concrete proof was provided.
One of the notable instances of uncertainty revolves around the road in Deisi. In May 2018, Kharagauli City Hall signed a contract with the “New Group” to construct a rural road in Deisi. To commence work, the company insisted on receiving 30% of the contract value upfront, amounting to 159 thousand GEL. Despite seven months passing with no progress, Zviadadze once again demanded an advance, this time for the actual construction work, requesting 50% of the value, or 265,500 GEL. Without hesitation, the City Hall transferred the funds to “New Group.” In total, the company received 425 thousand GEL without completing the contracted works.
Simultaneously, the completion deadline for the works was extended by one year. Despite this extension, the company failed to undertake road repairs during this period, yet the City Hall remained passive. It was only when the State Audit Service intervened at Kharagauli City Hall that the contract was terminated. According to the audit findings, “New Group” had only completed work worth 99 thousand GEL out of the 425 thousand received. The Audit report also suggests that City Hall may have tailored the tender to favor Tornike Zviadadze’s company.
“The tender commission may have manipulated the process to give preference to a specific bidder,” the report highlights.
When we questioned Tornike Zviadadze about how he managed to secure 425,000 GEL (80% of the tender value) without providing documentation to substantiate completed work in advance and whether his father’s influence played a role in this, he adamantly denied any involvement by the protopresbyter:
“When the World Bank allocates funds, they are expected to be promptly utilized. This utilization should occur within the same fiscal year. By advancing these funds to me, the state effectively utilized the resources granted by the World Bank. On my end, I insisted that since the opportunity arose, additional funds should be allocated to complete the project. The main obstacle I encountered was the lack of sufficient financial resources.”
In Deisi, they confirm that construction of the road was initiated multiple times but ultimately abandoned.
“I can tell you that it seemed to have halted around 2019. They started and stopped many times. Initially, it was the priest’s son who began it, I believe, but then he abandoned it. I’m not sure if any penalties were imposed or what action was taken against him,” shares Tamaz Kiknadze from Deisi.
Currently, the Regional Development Fund is investing 361,755 GEL to complete the Deisi road.
When we asked Tornike Zviadadze whether he would have received such leniency from government agencies without his father’s influence, he responded that his activities did not harm the state, as his insurance company refunded all advance payments. However, when we requested supporting documents to verify this claim, Zviadadze failed to provide them:
“Should I now focus on resolving the matter or justify myself to you? I am exhausted; I am not interested in it. Just trust me,” Zviadadze expressed.
According to documentation, the owner and director of the partnership “New Group” is Tornike Zviadadze’s former wife, Ketevan Bezhitashvili. However, Tornike manages the company through a power of attorney. During our conversation, he didn’t deny this and admitted to signing documents instead of Ketevan.
The Protopresbyter intervened to address his son’s issues with Kharagauli City Hall, as evident from the SSS records: “Giorgi Zviadadze informed Kharagauli Municipality Mayor, Nikoloz Topuridze, that his son Tornike Zviadadze couldn’t complete road paving works within the tender’s timeframe and requested assistance. Consent was granted.”
We reached out to Nikoloz Topuridze regarding this matter. He confirmed that the protopresbyter called him, but he couldn’t respond and didn’t discuss this topic with him.
Subsequently, we inquired about this matter with Tornike Zviadadze. He affirmed that the protopresbyter spoke to Nikoloz Topuridze and that the work deadline was extended. However, he added that the situation had already been resolved by the time his father intervened.
The Kharagauli City Hall awarded Tornike Zviadadze’s “New Group” the contract for road rehabilitation in the village of Boriti under suspicious circumstances. The City Hall launched a tender worth 448 thousand GEL in 2018. Three companies participated, with “New Group” submitting the highest bid. One bidder was disqualified due to documentation delays, leaving Orbita LLC and Zviadadze’s “New Group” in contention.
According to procurement agency data, both companies had the same flaw: a failure to evaluate specific works. However, the tender commission allowed Zviadadze’s company to rectify this issue, while Orbita LLC was not granted the same opportunity. Consequently, despite sharing the same defect, the tender commission disqualified only Orbita and declared “New Group” the winner.
“Orbita” LLC proposed a bid of 56 thousand GEL lower for the same scope of work. If given the chance to correct the error and without “New Group” receiving preferential treatment, this amount from the budget could have been saved.
Following the tender win, “New Group” amended the contract 14 times, extending the work deadline by 12 months. Ultimately, they received an additional 50 thousand GEL beyond the agreed amount.
Nikoloz Topuridze served as the mayor of Kharagauli at the time. When we asked him why the deadlines were repeatedly extended for “New Group” despite the initial provision of 4 months for completion, he answered that he was asked for assistance.
Journalist: Mr. Nikoloz, who requested your assistance?
Nikoloz Topuridze: I can’t recall exactly, but I believe it was someone from the ministry who suggested giving this individual a discount and extending the deadline by one or two months.
During our interview, he further explained that he made every effort for this project to be completed. However, upon realizing that this particular company wasn’t fulfilling its obligations, he initiated contract terminations.
Regarding compensation for unconfirmed works, he initially denied it and suggested we double-check. However, upon further discussion, he recollected the situation. “There may have been instances of making payments without proper documentation. I recall discussing this issue in the middle of the year. I wouldn’t have proceeded without permission. There were instructions given, especially considering the 6-month winter in Kharagauli when conducting work in the village is impossible. It was proposed that we provide this company with advances to maintain efficiency,” Topuridze explained.
Another case further evidences the preferential treatment of Tornike Zviadadze’s company. On June 4, 2019, Kharagauli City Hall terminated one contract with “New Group” due to non-compliance with the contract terms. Remarkably, they signed a new contract with the same company for road asphalting in another village on the same day.
In the villages of Kharagauli, residents were aware of who should have constructed the roads and who was protecting them.
“The one who initially began work on the road disappeared midway through the process. Apparently, he knew a priest of considerable influence. Nothing was done; they came and dismantled everything,” told a resident of Deisi village.
Similarly, in Nunisi village, locals recounted how one company initiated road paving, only for a local supplier to eventually complete the project: “Initially, one company started the work, but they abandoned it, and then another entity stepped in to finish it. Apparently, the initial company was from Tbilisi.”
“Zviadadze’s company left many projects unfinished, including ours. They began excavating the road from the upper area but abruptly stopped. Considerable works were done to transfer the project to a new company”, told a resident of Khidari village.
According to Kharagauli Municipality’s City Hall, road repair initiatives in the villages, branded as “revival projects,” commenced in 2021. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of Koba Lursmanashvili, ten infrastructural projects suspended during 2018-2019 were revitalized,” Kharagauli City Hall’s Facebook page announced. Most of these projects had been abandoned by Zviadadze’s company.
A Call to Vani City Hall
Tornike Zviadadze’s company, “New Group,” undertook road paving works in the village of Fereta in Vani. However, the work was left incomplete there as well. Despite commencing the work and receiving a 175,000 GEL advance, Zviadadze’s company repeatedly fell behind schedule, leading to seven postponements of the completion date.
As per regulations, when contracting companies fail to meet monthly, weekly, or annual schedules, they incur a daily penalty of 0.02% of the contract value. In Zviadadze’s case, the delay was 241 days beyond the stipulated timeline. Accordingly, the tender should have been terminated, and the buyer should have demanded the return of the guarantee amount from the company.
Vani City Hall imposed a fine of 42.5 thousand GEL on “New Group” and terminated the tender. However, at this point, Tornike Zviadadze’s father intervened.
An entry from the SSS files dated September 16, 2019, states: “Giorgi Zviadadze informed Metropolitan Anton Bulukhia of Vani and Baghdati that his son Tornike Zviadadze’s contract for road surface repair expired today, although minor works remain outstanding. The protopresbyter requested the metropolitan to contact Vani Mayor, Aleksandre Gogorishvili, to extend the deadline for completing the works until the end of the week.”
The accuracy of this record is confirmed by information provided on the procurement agency’s website. Indeed, Van City Hall terminated the contract with “New Group” on the exact date mentioned.
According to the SSS files, Metropolitan Anton Bulukhia considered Zviadadze’s favor and intervened to resolve the issue with the mayor: “Anton Bulukhia contacted the Vani mayor, who stated that Tornike Zviadadze is an irresponsible person, had been granted multiple extensions, and it was not possible to grant another one in this case. The Metropolitan shared this information with G. Zviadadze and assured him that he would arrange for someone to assist Tornike Zviadadze in obtaining the appropriate payment for the work completed.”
While Tornike Zviadadze did not dispute Anton Bulukhia’s involvement in resolving the matter concerning Vani, he mentioned that the metropolitan office could not provide any assistance.
“[My father] told me, ‘Son, never bother me again about your tenders.’ I explained that I wanted to seek justice, not just for profit. I suggested he call Reverend Anton; they hold him in high regard, and maybe he can shed light on the situation with the City Hall and overall. He agreed to call Anton, informing him that I would visit him. I explained the situation to Reverend Anton. He gave me the impression that he didn’t quite grasp the situation and asked the City Hall to help my company because I am the son of their priest. But the City Hall replied that it was impossible to help as the deadlines had already been extended. The main issue was that no one went into the situation’s specifics,” Tornike Zviadadze shared.
“iFact” contacted Anton Bulukhia, who neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the Vani tender situation. The Metropolitan asked us if he could have caused any harm if he had assisted anyone:
“During these beautiful Easter days, why are you inquiring about what happened in 2019? I am having a lovely day, preparing for St. George’s Day. Suddenly, someone calls me inquiring about what? Every day, I receive calls from people seeking assistance, and if I can help, I do. If someone has done something wrong, they should be held accountable by the appropriate authorities. If they’ve committed a crime, they should be apprehended by the relevant law enforcement. And if I have made a mistake, they will find me too. Why should I have to answer everyone’s questions?”
Following these calls and conversations, in December 2019, a new inspection report surfaced at City Hall, indicating that the company was owed reimbursement for work conducted from July 1 to September 22, 2019, totaling 60,364 GEL. It’s important to note that the contract had been terminated on September 16. The amount was credited to the company’s account by the end of December.
Ultimately, it was revealed that the city hall had paid the company more money than the value of the work completed. An expert company determined that “New Group” had executed work amounting to 317 thousand GEL at the time of the tender’s termination. However, according to the Procurement Agency’s website, the company received 425 thousand GEL.
We approached the local government to ascertain why City Hall transferred additional funds to Zviadadze’s company. However, the mayor declined an interview. We requested information about the tender from City Hall, urging them to explain these transfers and the discrepancy in the balance.
The figures and the circumstances outlined in the letter from the City Hall do not align with the data published by the agency on their website, leaving the final balance unresolved. It remained unclear how the City Hall calculated the amount to be reimbursed and subsequently transferred the final sum to the company.
A call regarding the tender in Gurjaani Municipality
Tornike Zviadadze’s company, “New Group,” did not fulfill its obligations in good faith in Gurjaani Municipality. This time, his father sought assistance from Sozar Subari, the Prime Minister’s advisor at the time.
According to the SSS files: “Giorgi Zviadadze was informed by Subari that he had spoken to Gurjaani Majority MP Davit Songhulashvili regarding his son’s failure to meet tender obligations in Gurjaani municipality. Songhulashvili informed him that they could not extend Zviadadze’s contract term, although they would cover the costs of the work completed up to that stage.”
The records are about the tender announced for the rehabilitation and paving of internal roads in Vachnadziani village in Gurjaani, which terminated on June 6, 2019. After this, SSS records indicate discussions between Giorgi Zviadadze, his son, and Sozar Subari June 7..
We contacted Gurjaani City Hall to clarify these works and payments to Tornike Zviadadze’s company. They confirmed that his company failed to fulfill two tenders during this period despite repeated warnings from City Hall to expedite the pace of work.
According to a report commissioned by Gurjaani City Hall, the examination found that the company had only completed work valued at 13,000 GEL instead of the contracted 269,000 GEL, with unclear and unsatisfactory quality. A similar situation was noted in the second tender, with the company completing only 10,000 GEL worth of work instead of the agreed-upon 153,000 GEL.
Gurjaani City Hall confirmed that payment for these two contracts would not be issued to Tornike Zviadadze’s company. Consequently, the tender was terminated, and on June 6, 2019, the company was blacklisted. Strikingly, just two days prior to the termination of the contract, a new contract worth 603,000 GEL was signed with “New Group.”
We asked Tornike Zviadadze why he took a new contract upon his company while having so many unfinished tenders. “I remember being in the Cabinet of Ministers at the time; the entire Gurjaani City Hall was there as well. I entered the tender to have less debt and save my company. The end goal was to get funds, not to have any debts, fulfill my obligations, and be decent.
Additionally, Gurjaani City Hall informed us that Zviadadze’s company had not paid the fines imposed and they were pursuing legal action to address this issue.
Upon contacting the former mayor of Gurjaani, Archil Khandamashvili, he stated that he did not recall being asked to assist Zviadadze’s company. When questioned about his presence at the Ministry of Cabinet in relation to “New Group,” he did not confirm such involvement:
“No, I do not remember attending the meeting about Zviadadze. My visits to the deputy minister’s office were primarily related to tenders and ongoing processes,” said Khandamashvili.
Tornike Zviadadze attributed the mistakes to his lack of experience, admitting that he was young and made errors in judgment. He acknowledged that he entered numerous projects to cover problems from one tender with another, resulting in delays or failures to complete them. However, he claimed to have learned from these experiences and that the procurement system had since improved. “I am the guilty one. Have you seen me in tenders after that?” we reminded him that his company won new tenders in 2021. He answered that he did not participate in tenders involving road construction. However, this is not true.
In 2021, Tornike Zviadadze’s two companies have 14 new tenders. However, two of these tenders remained unfulfilled. One of the uncompleted contracts was for road paving and strengthening works in Kutaisi, while the other involved purchasing and delivering pipes. However, some of these projects faced customer complaints and fines due to delays and poor quality work.
After talking with the son, we called his father, too.
Before the interview with Tornike Zviadadze, we had a telephone interview where he made a significant statement: “There were a lot of fraudulent actions on our part, there was no other way, we had to survive, there were many violations on our part.”
When this statement was mentioned during the interview, Zviadadze seemed confused and taken aback and responded that he had done his utmost to sustain the company: “The methods of earning money were somewhat fraudulent. I have misled the bank several times, but I did not deceive the state.”
