Police investigate leaked phone call between Rustavi 2 TV head and opposition leader

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation following the leak of an illegally recorded phone conversation between a local politician and media manager.

In a statement today the Ministry said an investigation had been launched regarding "disclosure of privacy of personal correspondence, telephone conversations or other message” outlined in Article 159 of Georgia’s Criminal Code.

Yesterday a secret recording of a conversation between Nika Gvaramia, Director General of Tbilisi-based private television company Rustavi 2 and politician, famous Georgian opera singer Paata Burchuladze. The clip, uploaded to YouTube, had a Russian description that read: "Nika Gvaramia controls ‘independent’ politicians”.

The recording was of a phone conversation between Gvaramia and Burchuladze, who recently created a political party that united several other parties under his election bloc to compete in the October 8 Parliamentary Elections.

The conversation was initiated by Gvaramia, who criticised recent statements by several members of Burchuladze’s election bloc.

Specifically, Gvaramia said he disliked that a member of Girchi - a political unity composed of former members of United National Movement (UNM) and now a member of Burchulaze’s election bloc – said the group, if needed, would cooperate with the ruling Georgian Dream party.

"If these are the plans of your coalition, I’m very sorry, really, but our relations won’t be the same as before,” Gvaramia told Burchuladze on the phone.

"Megrelishvili [a Girchi member] said ‘we want to have governmental posts for our ideas to implement and it doesn’t matter whom we will cooperate with to achieve this goal’, but for us it does matter,” Gvaramia told Burchuladze.

"We are not going to cooperate with people who cooperate with [Georgian Dream founder and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina] Ivanishvili,” the television official said.

Gvaramia did not elaborate on what kind of cooperation he meant but it was assumed he was talking about his TV channel giving broadcasting time to the political bloc.

Gvaramia later confirmed he called and had a conversation with Burchuladze.

"I have communication with all political parties. I mean pro-Western forces who are acceptable for our editorial policy, intersect with us and are valuable for us,” said Gvaramia.

"And there is not only one party we are communicating with. I have talked with Irakli Alasania, Tina Khidasheli… and nothing is abnormal in this.”

"We are not a neutral public broadcaster. We have our own editorial policy and it has its own red lines.”

Shortly after the telephone conversation leaked online yesterday, Gvaramia said Georgia’s State Security Service were responsible for the illegal surveillance and the agency had illegally recorded and spread the private conversation online.

Georgia’s State Security Service denied these allegations today.

"This allegation is unfounded. The State Security Service refuses any connection with either recording or distributing this material,” read an agency statement.

"An investigation by the Interior Ministry will find out who was behind the recording.”