According to Batiashvili, Mikheil Saakashvili could not control Iberia TV due to it being an independent broadcaster, and therefore decided to exert pressure on it in other ways. The witness claims that Special Forces operatives raided the Iberia TV and Omega Group offices specifically on Mikheil Saakashvili’s orders.
“All this had lots of purposes, one of them being the government desiring to intimidate the population. In general, this was the first attack on independent media and business,” Irakli Batiashvili said in his testimony.
As he also claimed, Saakashvili and his people had tried to attain controlling interest over companies comprising Omega Group and this was the reason for Badri Patarkatsishvili’s numerous visits to Zaza Okuashvili, the conglomerate’s owner. Batiashvili also mentioned Kibar Khalvashi in the same context, saying that he was the second of the duo imploring Zaza Okuashvili to give up his companies’ shares.
“Initially there was talk about 51 percent of shares, but it gradually turned into them demanding from 60 to 65 percent. Most of the shares had to be transferred directly to Saakashvili - something Zaza Okuashvili declined to do. This was the reason why Special Forces raided Iberia TV and Omega Group offices,” the witness said.
We remind our readers that the Chief Prosecutor’s Office started investigating the oppressive actions taken against Omega Group in 2013, although the grievance of Iberia TV regarding getting its broadcasting license forcibly revoked was singled out into a separate case that took 3 years to investigate and resulted in blame being placed on ex-Prosecutor General and Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili and his deputy Giorgi Latsabidze. During the investigation, numerous witnesses were questioned, with founders of Omega Group and, consequently, Iberia TV also providing testimony. The case was given over for court review in summer of 2016, while investigation of the Omega Group case by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office is still ongoing.
In 2013, Iberia TV had its license returned, with a modification for specialized/entertainment broadcasting. It went on air again one year ago as a general broadcaster.
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