Tbilisi Mayor addresses alleged corruption in free canteens for vulnerable groups

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze on Friday responded to recent arrests regarding possible corruption in the city’s free canteens serving socially vulnerable people, stressing that the City Hall itself was not an investigative body and that responsibility will be determined by the ongoing investigation.

“The investigation will establish everything. The City Hall is not an investigative agency,” Kaladze said.

He explained that municipal employees oversaw the canteens primarily for sanitary compliance, while operational matters, including procurement and beneficiary registration, were handled by contracted companies.

“In the capital, we have 64 free canteens. Specific companies have been identified in relation to the alleged offence. Receiving and delivering products, registering beneficiaries, and other operational tasks are the responsibility of the contracted companies, as outlined in their agreements. If any municipal employees were involved in wrongdoing, appropriate measures would have been taken. If a company or its subcontractor is at fault, the investigation will determine that,” he said.

Kaladze added that anyone found guilty will face legal consequences.

“I am responsible for myself. About 30,000 people work in the City Hall. Anyone who commits a crime, or dares to in the future, will answer before the law. The City Hall is not an investigative body. Agencies have the appropriate direction, and everyone must act within their competence,” he said.