Press Digest 09.01.2015

Fuel prices to drop in Georgia today

Kote Kublashvili allows some law-breaking judges to enjoy impunity

"The price of fuel will fall by 5 tetris today. However, according to the Prime Minister, this is not in line with internationally established prices.

Reportedly, prime cost of gasoline is approximately 1 GEL, while the margin at different gas stations is 75 tetri.

It would also be interesting to know that the internationally established price for a metric ton of petrol is $470. Brent oil prices are reportedly slipping as well. Today, a barrel of Brent oil costs only $51.

Foreign analytical experts think that the maximum price of fuel will hit $60, while in Saudi Arabia the price of black gold could allegedly fall to $20.

Relying on information presented above, we can conclude that all preconditions to prevent the price of petrol from rising above 1.4 GEL per liter is in the Georgian authorities’ hands today,”- reports the Rezonansi newspaper.

As those at the helm of the WISSOL company state, they have repeatedly reduced prices on their products to adjust them to the internationally established price of fuel. Overall, its price in WISSOL gas stations has allegedly decreased by around 40 tetris.

Another price cut is planned in a week. “If this tendency is maintained at the international market, we will steadily keep reducing prices on our products,”- declared Director General of WISSOL Petroleum Georgia, Vasil Khorava.

According to founder of Senta Company Zaal Iakobadze, optimal price on petrol is established in highly competitive environment, while in Georgia, as many as 5 large oil companies determine fuel prices. In Iakobadze’s words, if we had 10 players on our market instead of 5, fuel price policy in Georgia would be absolutely different.

“In order to adjust the price of fuel to internationally established prices, more large companies should be involved in this business. Volatility of GEL is also a disadvantage for us, since it pushes the company managers to increase the price of their products as a safeguard, not to lose money if the lari drops further in the future,”- says Zaal Iakobadze.

The Competition Agency is still studying the situation at the oil market. The agency has already provided the Prime Minister with its interim report; however, detailed information regarding this report has not been released yet,”- concludes the author of the article.

Kote Kublashvili allows some law-breaking judges to enjoy impunity

According to Grigol Gagnidze, head of Barristers and Lawyers’ International Observatory, his organization has some complaints for Georgia’s Judicial Disciplinary Commission, where lawsuits from lawyers as well as different NGOs have been shelved and forgotten. “As it appears, Kublashvili and his attendants block certain cases and stonewall their discussion,”- said Mr. Gagnidze.

It would be interesting to know the names of those judges who enjoy impunity thanks to Kublashvili,”- reports the Alia gazette.

“A year ago, two ladies urged our organization to look into the case solved by the Gldani-Nadzaladevi Prosecutor’s Office. Having examined the case, we have learned that a plea bargain was negotiated without a victim, who is not even mentioned in the case. This is obviously nothing more than a flagrant violation of the procedural code.

Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili simply stepped away from his responsibility to look into the case. This clearly points to the fact that a lot of wheeling and dealing has gone on in our courts for years, while Mr. Kublashvili and his entourage are proud of plea agreements they negotiated so easily.

The fact that a victim is not even mentioned in the case is nothing more than a blatant violation of an inpidual’s fundamental rights. The judge was obliged to demand that the Prosecutor’s Office present evidence from the victim,”- claims Grigol Gagnidze.

“Today we are looking into several cases with similar deviations, and we will refrain from naming other law-breaking judges before these cases are examined thoroughly and claims against the wrongdoers are brought. Now we are involved in active cooperation with the Public Defender, who has already been presented with about 20 cases of those judges who have refused to adhere to procedural norms for years,”- concludes the respondent.