Rustavi 2 shareholder demands Prosecutor’s Office launch investigation against director
A Rustavi 2 shareholder says that the company leadership has plans to bankrupt the channel before the European Court of Human Rights releases its verdict on the ownership dispute. Photo: Rustavi 2.
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Nino Nizharadze, a nine per cent shareholder of the opposition-minded Rustavi 2 channel, has addressed the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation against the channel director, former Minister of Justice Nika Gvaramia.
Nizharadze’s lawyer says that Gvaramia has abused his power and has made a decision which might bankrupt the channel.
The decision concerns the deal of Rustavi 2 and an advertising agency Intermedia on a fixed payment [and not based on released materials], which financially affected the channel," Nizharadze’s lawyer said.
Nizharadze suspects that Gvaramia and the channel leadership have plans to bankrupt Rustavi 2 and accumulate money in the advertising agency run by “Gvaramia’s ally Mikheil Mshvildadze.”
The European Court of Human Rights will deliver its verdict on Rustavi 2 ownership dispute on July 18. Photo: CoE.
Rustavi 2 responds that “Nizharadze plays the government’s game, who wish to see the channel closed.”
The play is very obvious several days before the European Court of Human Rights releases its verdict on Rustavi 2 ownership dispute [on July 18],” Rustavi 2 lawyer Tamta Muradashvili said.
Nizharadze filed a lawsuit against Gvaramia back in May, demanding 28 million GEL (about $10.3m/€9.2m).
The ownership of Rustavi 2 has a very controversial history
- Established in 1994, the broadcasting company changed ownership numerous times between 2004 and 2012.
- In March 2017 Georgia’s Supreme Court delivered a verdict in favor of Its former shareholder [2004-2006) Kibar Khalvashi, who had filed a lawsuit in 2015.
- A few days later the European Court of Human Rights suspended the enforcement of the Georgian Supreme Court’s verdict.
- Currently, Rustavi 2 is owned by LTD TV Sakartvelo (51%) and businessmen brothers Levan (22%) and Giorgi (18%) Karamanishvili.
- For its part the brothers own 25-25 per cent of LTD Sakartvelo. The remaining 50 per cent of the LTD is owned by a son of the United National Movement Executive Secretary Koba Nakopia, Nikoloz Nakopia.
- The remaining nine per cent of the channel belongs to Nizharadze, who inherited the shares from her husband.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office says that the investigation into the possibly illegal seizure of the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster under the United National Movement leadership in 2004 continues, despite the 15-year limitation period of the case expired on June 16.
Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has dismissed the allegations of Rustavi 2 private broadcaster director Nika Gvaramia regarding the government’s interest in shutting down the opposition-leaning channel and stated that no decision might be enforced by state agencies concerning the channel Rustavi 2 until the European Court of Human Rights delivers a verdict in the broadcaster’s ownership issue.
Nino Nizharadze, who inherited nine percent of shares of Rustavi 2 – one of the largest private companies in Georgia - from her husband Gogi Gegeshidze, is demanding 28 million GEL (about $10.3m/€9.2m).
The Government of Georgia believes the independence of Rustavi 2 – one of the country’s largest private broadcasting companies – will be guaranteed under the global new leadership of Kibar Khalvashi.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has released its verdict on the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster’s ownership dispute earlier today, upholding the verdicts of Georgian courts on the case.Rustavi 2 and its current owners earlier filed with the ECHR as plaintiffs, claiming that the Georgian Court of Appeals and Supreme Court had delivered unfair verdicts.
Former owner of Rustavi 2 Kibar Khalvashi has stated that the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights on Rustavi 2 has dispelled all doubts regarding the channel’s ownership, confirming that the ‘only lawful owner of the TV is me.’ He said that he has no plans to get involved in the editorial policy of the channel,
The Georgian Public Registry Agency has registered the shares of Rustavi 2 in the name of its former owner Kibar Khalvashi after today’s verdict of the European Court of Human Rights. Khalvashi’s lawyer addressed the agency to introduce changes in the Rustavi 2 registration document as the ECHR upheld the verdicts of the Georgians courts and allowed the return of 100 percent of shares of the channel to Khalvashi.
The Prosecutor’s Office plans to question ex-director of opposition minded TV channel Rustavi 2 for alleged abuse of power during his term. Official charges have not yet been brought against former director Nika Gvaramia, who will be asked to provide explanations of certain financial transactions which a former shareholder says were meant to bankrupt Rustavi 2.
Dismissed Director General of Georgian private broadcaster Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia has been questioned at Tbilisi City Court today. The questioning lasted more than two hours. Nika Gvaramia said the questions mainly referred to the advertising contracts [he concluded].
The former Director General of opposition-minded TV channel Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia, has been charged with abuse of power. The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office announced yesterday that due to Gvaramia’s actions Rustavi 2 suffered losses of 6,763,510 GEL (about $2,308,365/€2,062,045).