Ex-Director General of Rustavi 2 charged with abuse of power
Official charges have been bought against the former director general of Rustavi 2 Nika Gvaramia. Photo: George Erkvania/Facebook
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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).
The prosecution says that on January 16, 2015 Gvaramia, as the director general of Rustavi 2, signed an agreement on behalf of the TV channel with Inter Media Plus, owned by his friends. The agreement allowed the company to place commercial ads on Rustavi 2 free of charge.
As a result, in 2015, Rustavi 2 faced 7,377,230 GEL (about $2,517,825/€2,249,155) of declared damage, whereas Inter Media Plus received 8,690,664 GEL (about $2,966,096/€2649592) of declared profit.
The investigation was initially launched on July 20 based on a complaint lodged by a former nine per cent shareholder, Nino Nizharadze, the prosecutor's office said.
The new director general of Rustavi 2, Paata Salia, also announced on July 20 that the channel had certain financial problems and that its financial situation was ‘worse than expected.’
Gvaramia denies the charges, saying corruption and theft are his "red lines". Linking the charges against him with his critical attitude to the ruling Georgian Dream party chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, Gvaramia said he will fight till the end.
Meanwhile, former Rustavi 2 shareholders, brothers Giorgi and Levan Karamanishvili, released a statement supporting Gvaramia. They said the TV company has grown significantly under his management and Rustavi 2 has been "the symbol of the freedom of speech and critical mind" in Georgia throughout many years.
Therefore, they consider the charges against ex-director general "obvious political persecution, which has nothing to do with law or justice".
Established in 1994, Rustavi 2 changed ownership numerous times between 2004 and 2012. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
A European Court of Human Rights ruling on July 18 effectively allowed the return of 100 per cent of the channel’s shares to its former owner Kibar Khalvashi, who argued that Rustavi 2 was illegally seized from him by the former United National Movement (UNM) government in 2006.
Later, Khavlashi appointed his lawyer Paata Salia as the channel’s new director general, replacing Gvaramia, who had held the position from 2014.
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 new owner of Rustavi 2 Kibar Khalvashi, who was given 100 per cent of the company’s shares on July 18, has met with founders of the channel David Dvali and Jarji Akimidze earlier today and offered them 40 per cent of the shares of the channel. Both Khalvashi and the founders say that the channel was illegally seized from them at different times under the United National Movement leadership.
Paata Salia, the new director general of Rustavi 2, says the channel has certain financial problems. After meeting with the staff of Rustavi 2, Salia said the channel’s financial situation was ‘worse than expected.’He said it is important to find ways to “solve the financial problems”.
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.
Bail has been set at 40,000 GEL for former director general of opposition-minded TV channel Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia, who stands accused of abuse of power during his time in the position. Gvaramia also has been banned from leaving the country without the consent of prosecutors, who earlier had demanded bail be set at 80,000 GEL.
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Ex-Director General of Rustavi 2 TV channel, Georgia’s former minister of justice and education, Nika Gvaramia will face additional charges regarding the funds of the TV channel he used to head.
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Giorgi Rurua, one of the founders and shareholders of opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV, who was detained for illegal possession and carrying a firearm on November 18, has been accused of obstructing the Tbilisi City Court’s decision, announced the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office today.
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