Nine arrested over death of child in Vake park - Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs
Nine arrested in Vake Park death
Nine people have been arrested in the death of a thirteen year old girl who received a fatal electric shock while playing in a fountain at Vake Park in downtown Tbilisi, as reported by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia at a special briefing.
Among the arrested were the deputy head of the city environmental service, the heads and employees of the Greenservice and Mshenexpert companies, a representative of New Metal Design LLC, and two electric welders. It is said the list of those accused may be added to.
According to investigators, though repairs on the park’s main fountain had already been officially completed, the deputy head of the city environmental service asked the manager of Greenservice to wrap black water pipes coming out of the electric motor in the fountain with a stainless white structure. Director of “Greenservice” Lasha Purtsvanidze entrusted this task to an employee of subcontracting company “New Metal Design”.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, however, electric welders hired by New Metal Design LLC violated safety standards during the assignment. In order to fit the stainless metal structure over the water pipes, they removed a metal grill from the electric motor, and when re-attaching, installed electrical wire between the concrete surface and the grill, causing damage to the wire.
The director of “Greenservice +” submitted the bill to the city administration’s service without an audit, and the deputy head of the environmental protection service accepted it, also without an audit.
“If they had fulfilled their duties in good faith, the damaged wiring would have been discovered and tragic consequences could have been avoided,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The investigation also established that Greenservice+ entered into an agreement with the Mshenexpert construction company to conclude the project. The acceptance certificate had to be signed by the city environmental protection service of Tbilisi City Hall, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
9 people detained in connection with the tragedy in Vake Park
9 people detained in connection with the tragedy in Vake Park
On October 13 a tragic incident took place in Tbilisi’s Vake Park. Three teenagers were playing with a ball which then fell into the fountain. When two of them tried to retrieve it, all three received a powerful electric shock. Thirteen year old Marita Meparishvili could not be saved. The condition of the second child is stable but serious; he is on a ventilator.
The company engaged in repairing the fountain, Greenservice LLC, was blacklisted in 2013, its founders arrested after the change of political regime in Georgia.
The investigation found out that Purtsvanidze and Kharshiladze, while still officials, established Greenservice in 2007 and registered it under the name of acquaintances, remaining the real owners and managers of the company.
A year after the indictment, Purtsvanidze began to cooperate with the investigation and admitted to the scheme. His punishment was a fine. His deputy Kharshiladze was sentenced to two years in prison and fined.
However, instead of banning the company from participating in public procurement, Georgian Dream restored relations with Purtsvanidze.
But this time it was not Greenservic against which the case was initiated, but Greenservice +, the same company under a different name.
Since January 2013, the Greenservice+ company has been participating in public procurement and over the years has earned several million in projects with state support.
Nine arrested in Vake Park death
