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The News in Brief

Friday, June 24
BGEO Takes Over Tbilisi Water Utility Firm

BGEO Group, a holding company of Bank of Georgia, said it has agreed to buy the remaining 75% of shares in Georgian Global Utilities Limited, which owns water and wastewater service providers in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Mtskheta.

BGEO, which already holds 25% shares in the Georgian Global Utilities, will pay USD 70 million for the rest of the shares within a month.

Offshore registered Georgian Global Utilities Limited (GGU) supplies water and provides wastewater service in the capital city Tbilisi through its wholly owned company Georgian Water and Power.

Georgian Global Utilities also provides similar services in Rustavi and Mtskheta, and also owns three hydropower generation facilities with a total capacity of 143MW.

BGEO bought 25% of the shares of Georgian Global Utilities for USD 26.25 million in December 2014.

BGEO is a UK incorporated holding company whose businesses include Bank of Georgia and Georgia Healthcare Group, which owns network of healthcare facilities under the Evex brand and medical insurance; and real estate developer m2. (civil.ge)



Georgia wins gold, silver at Junior European wrestling contest

Georgian athletes have won a gold and two silver medals at the Junior European Wrestling Championships currently underway in Romania, putting the team in the lead after the first day of the international contest.

Greco-Roman wrestler Nugzar Tsurtsumia won gold in the 50kg category yesterday, on day one of the competition in Bucharest.

Tsurtsumia defeated Azerbaijan's Azar Nasibli after coming from behind to end the game with a score of 10-8.

The Georgian was initially six points behind his opponent after surrendering headlocks at the start of the first and then second period of the final however he recovered to counter the Azerbaijani wrestler with headlocks of his own and ultimately claimed the victory.

The result saw Georgia emerge as the leading country of the team competition with 28 points after the first day of the contest. Georgia is the defending champions of the Junior European Championships.

The team’s lead was echoed by United World Wrestling, the governing body of the competition who tweeted a message to its social media followers:

With 28 points Georgia currently leads Ukraine (26 points) and Russia (21) in the team standings.

Tsurtsumia's win was his second gold in five months following his win at the Austrian Open tournament in February this year.

Meanwhile Georgia’s two silver medals were awarded to Levan Kavzharadze in the 60kg category and Giorgi Melia in the 96kg group.

Kavzharadze lost out to Azerbaijan's Mikhail Rahmanov 11-2, while Melia succumbed to Russia's Ruslan Bekuzarov 11-5.

Four more Georgian athletes will take to the ring and represent the country today.

David Chkhartishvili will compete in the 55kg category, while Giorgi Khetsuriani will face his opponent in the 66kg section. Reigning junior world champions Ramaz Zoidze and Zviad Pataridze will also perform today in Bucharest.

This year's Junior European Wrestling Championships run from June 21-26 at the Polyvalent Hall Bucharest in Romania's capital. (agenda.ge)



“Thief-in law” alleges his moving from Ukraine to Georgia was orchestrated by the United National Movement party and Mikheil Saakashvili

According to so-called thief-in law Davit Gerliani-Chachibaia, his transport from Ukraine to Georgia was orchestrated by the United National Movement party and Mikheil Saakashvili.

As InterPressNews was told by Gerliani’s lawyer Tamar Abesade, who met with the detainee yesterday, Davit Gerliani was arrested for being a member of an organise crime syndicate in 2006; he was released in 2013, after which he left Georgia and moved to Ukraine.

"He currently holds Ukrainian citizenship. As Gerliani said, he was at a restaurant with friends in Ukraine when police rushed in and arrested everyone. The arrest operation was led by a Georgian official. Later, everyone was released except for Gerliani. He was detained and told that he had a fake passport. Later he was put on a plane and sent to Georgia. Rustavi 2 reporters were waiting for him at the Tbilisi airport,” said Tamar Abesade.

The lawyer explained that his client was not deported. Gerliani claims that everything was planned by the former president and the United National Movement with the help of Rustavi 2 TV to show that thieves-in law are returning to Georgia. According to the lawyer, his client denies that he is a 'thief-in-law ''. (IPN)