DUSHANBE, February 3, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev on February 2 signed a resolution announcing holding of an open tender for international audit of a half-finished water park in the capital, Asia-Plus has learned from Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor.

The tender is held to assess the present technical state of the facility and the actual volume and quality of work carried out by Turkey’s Emek Insaat, as well as analyze financial and legal relations between the company and the Dushanbe mayor’s office.

The audit outcomes will be submitted to Turkey’s Economic Court for reimbursement of funds paid by the Dushanbe authorities to the Turkish company, the spokesman said, noting that applications for participation in the tender are received till March 16, 2009.  

The resolution on holding the tender is part of an on-going dispute between the Dushanbe mayor’s office and Emek Insaat, the basis of which lies in the breach of an agreement on construction of the water park in Dushanbe. 

We will recall that in 2004, the Dushanbe mayor’s office and Turkey’s Emek Insaat signed the agreement on the construction of the water park in the Tajik capital.  Under the agreement the Dushanbe mayor’s office paid $2.5 million to the company.  After the construction started, the Turkish company requested for further $2.9 million to finish the facility.  Following the Dushanbe mayor’s office’s refusal to provide additional funds, the company interrupted the construction work and left Tajikistan.  Tajik president’s executive office in 2004 filed a suit against Emek Insaat to Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court asking for $1.5 million in damages.  In 2005, the Dushanbe mayor’s office also filed a suit against the Turkish company asking for $6.2 million.  

Deputy head of Tajikistan’s Higher Economic Court, Ms. Marodbegim Shirinjonova, told a press conference in Dushanbe on April 12, 2007 that the trace of Emek Insaat has been found in Germany.  According to her, all documentations on the dispute between Tajikistan and Emek Insaat are currently at Turkey’s court.  She said they had sent a letter to Emek Insaat notifying of launching claim against it for the breach of the agreement.