TV Co-Founder Arrested, Accused of Blackmailing MP

Shalva Ramishvili: “I pin hopes on my audience. This is a provocation.”

Shalva Ramishvili, a co-founder of Tbilisi-based 202 private television station and an anchor of the popular political talk-show “Debates” on the 202 TV, was arrested on extortion charges on August 27.

Police said Ramishvili is accused of extorting USD 100,000 from parliamentarian from the ruling National Movement party Koba Bekauri. Ramishvili dismissed accusations as “provocation.”

202 TV is the only television in Georgia which airs daily political talk-shows, as well as journalistic investigations. The television broadcasts only in the capital Tbilisi. Another co-founder of the television is parliamentarian Vazha Kiladze.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement several hours after the arrest saying that MP Koba Bekauri testified on August 26 claiming that Shalva Ramishvili blackmailed him and demanded USD 100,000 otherwise threatened to air “compromising” story. The statement does not specify details what was this “compromising” story about.

Shortly before this statement the Interior Ministry has issued a footage shot by hidden camera showing MP Koba Bekauri (the hidden camera was attached on Bekauri’s shirt) meeting with Shalva Ramishvili.

The footage, which was broadcasted by the Georgian television, shows Bekauri giving Ramishvili a bundle of money and telling him: “Shalva, I will give you rest – 50, or 70 thousand later; here is 30 thousand.” After taking the money Ramishvili tells to Bekauri that the latter has to give him 70 thousand more.

As the footage was not followed by comments it remains unclear as to what the deal pertained to. However, in the conversation Bekauri mentions that “Komakhidze is calling me.” Ramishvili replies that he should not worry about Komakhidze’s phone calls.

They did not specify who the person with the last name Komakhidze is. But there is a prominent journalist Vakhtang Komakhidze, who works in an organization of the name – “Reporter,” which produces journalistic investigation programs for 202 television.

At a news conference on August 27 Vakhtang Komakhidze confirmed that he with a group of journalists from the “Reporter” were working over investigation of MP Koba Bekauri’s alleged wrongdoings which is related with the customs terminal “Opiza.” This terminal, according to this investigative reporting, is owned by MP Bekauri and currently rented by the Georgian Customs Service.

“I can not understand why Bekauri was giving money to Ramishvili. The 202 television, according to our contract, has no right to interfere in our [“Reporter”] editorial policy. The 202 was only used by us to broadcast our productions,” Vakhtang Komakhidze said.

He added that the investigative reporting about MP Koba Bekauri’s activities will anyway be broadcasted. MP Koba Bekauri was unavailable for comment.

Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said at a news conference that the police had information “that cases of extortion and blackmail were occurring in the free media.”

“Today we carried out a special operation and as a result a very upsetting thing has happened; I have long had friendly relations with the arrested person [Shalva Ramishvili],” Merabishvili said.

“Along with the Customs Office, the Tax Department and other state agencies, the media must also be free of corruption,” Merabishvili added.
 
He said, that “unfortunately these kinds of cases take place in the media as well. We should fight against this together.”

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the law enforcers will provide a transparent probe and are ready to involve in the investigation “any interested party.”

Opposition’s Reaction

The opposition parties have already described arrest of Shalva Ramishvili as “an attack on free media.”

“MP Koba Bekauri is notorious for his wrongdoings.  This [arrest of Shalva Ramishvili] is an attack on free media,” Koba Davitashvili, the leader of opposition Conservative Party said.

The opposition Labor Party condemned the arrest describing it as the government’s “warning message to all the television stations” on the eve of elections, referring to October 1 MP by-elections in Georgia’s five single-mandate constituencies.

“The government has launched attack on free media long time ago. The only way to silence Ramishvili was to arrest him,” Davit Berdzenishvili of the opposition Republic Party said.

“Now we all must demand the compromising story about Bekauri to be broadcasted,” Pikria Chikhradze of the New Rights opposition party said.