Ex-President’s Relative Interrogated

The Metromedia International Group, which owns shares in the MagtiCom Ltd. communications company, dismissed as groundless allegations over having “problems with the state budget.”

Giorgi Jokhtaberidze, co-founder of MagtiCom and son-in-law of ex-President Shevardnadze was convened by the General Prosecutor’s Office on January 26 for interrogation.

After the interrogation chief prosecutor Irakli Okruashvili said that the interrogation was held for alleged “problems, which the company has with the state budget.” 

However, Mark Hauf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Metromedia International Group, the company, which owns shares in the MagtiCom Ltd. dismissed Georgian General Prosecutor’s statement as groundless.

“The company [MagtiCom] has no debt to the budget. It has already paid GEL 140 million since 1997,” Mark Hauf told the press conference in Tbilisi on January 27. 
 
He also said that the company hopes the Georgian chief prosecutor will clarify his statement. 
 
Manana Shevardnadze [ex-President’s daughter and Jokhtaberidze’s wife] also attended the briefing. She refrained from making any comments, saying that her family will make an official statement for the press and society in the nearest days.
 
MagtiCom Ltd. is the Georgian-American joint venture, which started operating in Georgia in 1997. The company was founded by Magti Ltd, owned by Giorgi Jokhtaberidze and Telcell Wireless of America, owned by the Metromedia International Group. Magti was the third company having entered Georgian telecommunications market.