Friday, July 27, 2007, #142 (1409)

Saakashvili Warns Ministers to Pay for Own Medical Expenses
By Eter Tsotniashvili

Saakashvili at the cabinet meeting held at Gremi on Wednesday

In a live televised cabinet meeting in Gremi on July 25, President Mikheil Saakashvili publicly chastised his cabinet, saying that it was unacceptable for them to use state funds for their own medical treatment.

Saakashvili’s remarks stemmed from reports in early July that ruling party MP Beso Jugheli and Minister of Refugees and Resettlement Giorgi Kheviashvili asked Health Minister Lado Chipashvili to have the state finance their medical treatment. According to Imedi TV, which broadcast letters it claimed were written by the officials to Chipashvili, Jugheli and Kheviashvili requested about USD 8200 and USD 1730, respectively.

“All of you should pay for insurance from your own salaries… The state has no additional money to give to you. You have good salaries [GEL 3 000, or almost USD 1,800] and I think, it is conducive for you to be honest and non-corrupt and not to take anything from the state,” Saakashvili told his cabinet ministers, according to Civil Georgia.

He then addressed Chipashvili directly, asking him whether his ministry had given any money to Kheviashvili.

Chipashvili said he hadn’t.
“I can say with all responsibility that at no time has our ministry transferred even one tetri to Kheviashvili,” the health minister answered.

No government officials have confirmed that they received the requests for money.
“I am indigent,” Kheviashvili’s letter purportedly read. “I need treatment. Please provide assistance.”
Kheviasvhili refused to comment on the story, but the leader of the advocacy group Chven Tviton, Paata Davitaia, says that Kheviashvili claimed his signature on the letter was forged.
Imedi TV, airing the story, managed to find Jugheli in a Swiss clinic.

“It’s nobody’s business why I’m here and what kind of illness I have,” Jugheli told journalists.
Chipashvili’s statement contrasted with another letter aired on Imedi, which allegedly documents the health minister requesting the State United Social Insurance Fund to transfer money to Jugheli and Kheviashvili.
Vakhtang Surguladze, the fund’s chief, told Imedi TV that he had followed the health ministry's instructions.

“Our agency is an executive one and we implement instructions from the Ministry of Health,” Surguladze said.

After the story aired, Davitaia’s Chven Tviton, an advocacy group for Abkhaz issues, staged a press conference with the Equality Institute to present their contribution to Refugees Minister Kheviashvili.
“We were informed that there are poor ministers and MPs in Georgia. We welcome Chven Tviton’s collection of GEL 11 in aid, and we’ll chip in another GEL 3 so the minister gets the same aid that our IDPs do,” Equality Institute member Goga Khaindrava said.

Davitaia told The Messenger the president asked Chipashvili the wrong question. Saakashvili asked the health minister if money had been transferred, but more to the point, Davitaia said, is whether or not these letters were really sent, received and acted upon.

Referring to Kheviashvili’s claim of forgery, Davitaia questioned why the minister hasn’t pursued such a serious offence.
“Lado Chipashvili and Gia Kheviashvili must address the Prosecutor's Office about…the fake signatures. If they don’t, we will bring it up ourselves,” Davitaia said.



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