The Court of Appeal has partially satisfied the lawsuit related to the so-called "milk scandal," ruling that the company Chirina must pay 1.6 million GEL. According to Chirina’s lawyer, Giorgi Getsadze, the court found that Chirina violated the contract with the farm "Kvarelis Baga".
The appellate court canceled the earlier obligation imposed on Chirina to pay up to 3.1 million GEL for unearned income claimed by "Kvarelis Baga". However, the court upheld the City Court’s decision requiring "Chirina" to be compensated "Kvarelis Baga" for the losses due to cattle mortality, fixing the amount at 1.6 million GEL.
Revaz Vashakidze, founder of Chirina, expressed disagreement with the ruling, emphasizing that the court must specify which contract clause Chirina violated. He intends to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
“The Appeal Court confirmed we are not responsible for the unacceptable losses at "Kvarelis Baga" and reduced the debt to 1.6 million GEL. However, we still question the ruling since "Chirina" bears no blame for the cattle mortality. The judges should clarify and prove the contract breach. We will await the written decision and proceed with an appeal,” Vashakidze said.
Lawyer Giorgi Getsadze echoed the company’s dissatisfaction, arguing that there is no evidence supporting the claim that "Chirina" violated the contract. “We do not understand how the Court of Appeal justified its decision without any evidence. We will definitely appeal to the Supreme Court and hope for a fair ruling,” he stated.
The initial ruling by the Tbilisi City Court ordered Chirina to pay 4.7 million GEL. The Court of Appeal, however, canceled compensation for unearned income, leaving only the 1.6 million GEL as direct damages for contract violation.
The dispute originated from a lawsuit filed by "Kvarelis Baga" against "Chirina" demanding 4.7 million GEL in compensation. The Tbilisi City Court’s December 24, 2024, decision was subsequently appealed by "Chirina" to the Court of Appeal. The case now awaits further review at the Supreme Court level.
