Tbilisi court declines to freeze Rustavi 2 shares as demanded by ex-Defence Minister
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, July 23
Tbilisi City Court did not allow the freeze on Rustavi 2 TV shares as former Defence Minister Irakli Okriuashvili demanded it.
Okruashvili, who states that he owns the channel and not Kibar Khalvashi, says that the refusal was expected as the court “plays the government game.”
Okruashvili addressed the court to freeze the shares on July 19, in the wake of the European Court of Human Rights’ verdict which ruled that the owner of Rustavi 2 100 percent of shares is Okruashvili’s once closest ally, businessman Kibar Khalvashi.
Okruashvili, who served as Prosecutor General, Interior and Defence Ministers under the United National Movement leadership, says that he paid seven million USD to buy the channel back in 2004 and Khalvashi only represented him in the purchase deals.
He says that he has a document signed in 2010 by Khalvashi, confirming that a real owner of the channel is Okruashvili.
Okruashvili cited the court, saying that the demand on freezing on the shares must have been submitted together with the lawsuit against Khalvashi.
“We will decide now whether to appeal the refusal or to make a new demand together with the lawsuit [this week],” Okruashvili said.
He also responded to the statements of Rustavi 2 founders Jarji Akimidze and David Dvali that the channel was illegally seized from them in 2004, the year Okruashvili says he bought the media outlet.
Akimidze and Dvali also presented a copy of an interrogation paper in which Okruashvili says that the channel was illegally seized from owners with the demand of then-President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The testimony was recorded in 2014.
Okruashvili confirmed that he gave the testimony under the Georgian Dream leadership. However, he said that it was a “part of a deal” with the Georgian Dream to help him win the Gori Mayoral race in 2015.
He admitted that he gave a fake testimony, adding that he paid 1,2 million USD to Akimidze and Dvali in 2004 for the 60 percent of shares and “no seizure took place.”
Okruashvili added that former Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili knew about the deal on elections and the testimony, which Usupashvili dismissed.
Khalvashi’s lawyer, appointed as Director General of Rustavi 2 Paata Salia says that it is better for Okruashvili to explain how he had seven million USD to give to Khalvashi in 2004 to buy the channel.
“That time he was Prosecutor General,” Salia said.
Salia says that Khalvashi had signed no documents which can prove the channel belongs to Okruashvili.
Salia and Khalvashi have stated that they are looking for a new media manager for Rustavi 2, a foreign citizen with a high reputation who will ensure the editorial independence of the channel.
Rustavi 2, which has changed owners more than 20 times since its establishment in 1994, was given to Khalvashi with the July 18 verdict of the European court.
Khalvashi filed a lawsuit to “regain the shares” back in 2017.
He stated that the United National Movement illegally seized the channel from him in 2006, the year Okruashvili was dismissed as defence minister.
