Why Did Erosi Climb Over the Fence?

Aleko Tskitishvili

Early in the morning of November 30, a leader of the Georgian Party Erosi Kitsmarishvili climbed over the fence of the TV-Company “Maestro” together with ten people and halted working of the TV-station; relatively, the broadcasting of the Maestro was suspended.

Correspondents of the news agency Interpresnews reported from the incident scene that founders, anchors, producers, journalists and cameramen of the Maestro-TV could not enter the building because Erosi Kitsmarishvili was there together with strange people and did not allow the personnel to work in the office.

One of the founders of the TV-Company Mamuka Glonti told the IPN that Erosi Kitsmarishvili appeared at the office together with several strangers at 7:15 am; they climbed over the fence and did not allow other personnel to enter the building.

Rustavi Management Company, owned by the leader of the Georgian Party Erosi Kitsmarishvili, has been running the Maestro TV since 2009. “We are in Maestro and Maestro” will continue functioning in future and will be a citadel of free media in Georgia,” Kitsmarishvili told the IPN and added that he is not going to quit the Maestro.

“I came here as a representative of the Media Management Company, which runs the Maestro TV. A person, who was in the office at our arrival, called patrol police and did not allow us into the building. Certain Ilia Kikabidze reported to the police, who was sacked from the Company based on the yesterday’s order of the Management Company. At the moment, patrol police and this person are conducting procedural activities,” said Kitsmarishvili.

He said the Company continues activities but the founders of the Maestro-TV hinder journalists and personnel to enter the office.

The activities and statements of the head of the Management Company made the founders of the TV-Company to joke bitterly. “Of course I know, but Erosi Kitsmarishvili sacked the director general of the TV-Company as well as me; however, I do not know where I was sacked from. I hope he will clarify it. He resigned several other people too and now he is reinforced in the TV-Company office together with the patrol police,” said one of the founders of the Company Mamuka Glonti in his live interview with the Radio Palitra.

“It is not necessary to occupy and arrest the TV-Company to settle relations with each other,” one of the founders of the Maestro-TV Eka Akobia said.

She said the founders and Erosi Kitsmarishvili always had chance to settle their relations through negotiations and not by the occupation of the TV-Company.

Akobia added that she and other employees of the TV-Company think Erosi Kitsmarishvili’s behavior was incredible.

Ilia Kikabidze said Erosi Kitsmarishvili did not have authority to sack me from the Company. Only founders of the TV-Company have similar authority.

According to Kikabidze, he was appointed on the position based on the protocol by company founders. Maestro can unilaterally suspend the contract with the ruling company which is represented by Kitsmarishvili.

Later, Erosi Kitsmarishvili allowed correspondents of several media outlets into the building and made statement.

He said, he arrived at the Maestro-TV early in the morning but the door was locked. Then he used his “alpinist experience” and climbed over the fence.

“I attracted 4.5 million USD for the development of the Maestro-TV for the last three years and the channel acquired high rating. I have right to interfere in the management of the TV-Company and relatively I decided to sack producer Mamuka Glonti, director general Ilia Kikabidze and Levan Chikvaidze from the Company,” said Erosi Kitsmarishvili.

He added that those persons own some shares in the TV-Company. So, they were just fired from job as employees and not as share-holders.

According to Erosi Kitsmarishvili, he tried to have access to the TV studio but Levan Chikvaidze closed all doors and threw the key away: “I tried to visit TV Company Maestro yesterday but abstained at the end since there was high expectation towards Bidzina Ivanishvili’s interview scheduled for the evening. After yesterday’s program I came to Maestro early in the morning and started to implement my legal rights.”

As Kitsmarishvili noted with interpressnews, the broadcasting is stopped due to the actions of the founders of TV Company who are not letting the employees to access the building. “I will try to restore the broadcasting in maximum short term,” – he noted.

Conflict Rise

The conflict between Erosi Kitsmarishvili and the founders of Maestro was exposed on November 29th. The founders of TV Company blamed Kitsmarishvili for the attempt of meddling in the editorial competence of the TV Company.

According to the November 29 statement of founders of TV Company, Kitsmarishvili called for a meeting with journalists and producers without agreeing with the founders and company management.  “We believe this is an attempt of interfering in editorial policy,” the statement reads.

According to one of the founders of Maestro TV Mamuka Glonti the given action may cause annulling of contract with the Rustavi Management Company.

“Not even Erosi Kitsmarishvili, but none of the founders have the right to call a meeting with employees without agreement with the management; this may become a reason for annulling contract with his company,” Glonti told Maestro TV.

General Director of the TV-company Ilia (Bacho) Kikabidze also confirmed that the discussion of possible annulling of contract with Rustavi Management Company will be started.

“I do not know what was going to be the topic of Kitsmarishvili’s meeting; he will not be able to meet with journalists without me.  If he has something to talk about, he should talk to me.  Company management will decide how we will continue cooperating with him,” Ilia Kikabidze told media.ge.

According to the statements circulated by founders the managing company has accumulated debts to several partners of the TV-company which creates serious threat to the normal functioning of Maestro.

Rustavi Management Company received the right to manage the TV-company for three years in 2009.  Maestro founders threatened to annul the contract with Kitsmarishvili because of unsolved financial problems in 2010 too.  At that time Maestro founders accused Kitsmarishvili in violating the request of the contract according to which the Rustavi Management Company was obliged to financially support the TV-company.

Mamuka Glonti spoke about possible annulling of contract with Erosi Kitsmarishvili again this October.  At that time Kitsmarishvili, again without agreement with the company management, proposed billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili to buy Maestro TV for one lari, after Ivanishvili advised journalists to separate from Kitsmarishvili. 

Assessments

According to the head of information service of TV Company Caucasia Nino Jangirashvili, the developments in Maestro once again confirmed that a politician has nothing to do with the TV Company.

“I have been saying this for years and I am once again assured that a politician has nothing to do with the Television. The postulate “we will take money from anyone, just do not give orders” is ridiculous. Nobody gives money just for nothing, especially – the politicians. I always knew this and if Mamuka Ghlonti did not know and found out now, bad for him,” – Jangirashvili stated to interpressnews.

According to his explanation, the fact of Kitsmarishvili’s entrance in Maestro is unacceptable but he thinks that Mamuka Ghlonti is guilty in whatever is happening with the TV Company.

“I am not aware of the legal issues in detail, but the fact is that the journalists do not have the opportunity to work and this is the main thing for me. The TV Company Caucasia and Maestro have a high responsibility towards public since we have to provide information to people. Everybody who hinders this process is equally unacceptable, be it Mamuka Ghlonti or Erosi Kitsmarishvili. Whatever Kitsmarishvili is doing is unimaginable and unacceptable. It is also unacceptable that he was given opportunity to do this. I blame Mamuka Ghlonti for this,” – Jangirashvili noted.

The deputy editor of the newspaper Resonance Eliso Chapidze raises doubt that Erosi Kitsmarishvili is not distanced from the government interests.

“I think nobody has right to violate the editorial competence of the channel. I condemn the fact of Kitsmarishvili’s invasion in the TV Company. When the TV Company is very interesting and is in the center of the developments this action raises doubts that Kitsmarishvili is not distanced from the government interests though he has been trying to assure us so for the last three years,” – Chapidze stated to interpressnews.

The head of Georgian Party Sozar Subari stood with the employees of Maestro at the building of TV Company. He confirmed in the live broadcasting of radio Palitra that he left the party.

According to him, it is unacceptable to meddle in the journalistic activity. However, he abstained from giving legal qualification to the developments surrounding Maestro.

Latest News

At about 11:00 am, Mamuka Glonti managed to open the big gate of the TV-Company and part of journalists entered the building. However, patrol police interfered in the incident several minutes later, locked the gate and did not allow other people to enter the building.

Although the founders of the Maestro-TV called the patrol police, the police officers did not do anything to make strangers to leave the area; moreover, the patrol police officers did not allow the founders and personnel of the TV-station into the building.

The MIA made a short statement regarding the fact: “The patrol police crew arrived at the place after the patrol police department received a report from the TV-Company Maestro. The only purpose of the patrol police officers’ presence in the area is to avoid possible conflict between parties as well as physical clash and escalation of the situation.”

At about 1:00 pm the Maestro renewed broadcasting by one part of journalists and technical personnel who managed to enter the building.

In the name of all founders, Mamuka Glonti spread information that contract was suspended with the Rustavi Management Company.

“In the name of 100% share holders we cease contract with Erosi Kitsmarishvili’s Company because he used force against TV-Company personnel and suspended working process. He can appeal to the court; however, the possible judgment of the Court is already clear. I have serious doubt that a special operation “Imedi 2” is being planned (meaning the dispersal of TV-Company Imedi in November of 2007). There is threat that the independent TV-Company “Maestro” will be closed down,” said Mamuka Glonti.

Despite all that, Erosi Kitsmarishvili is not going to leave the TV-Company yard. “I will leave the TV-Company Maestro after November 30, 2012 when our contract term expires,” he said.

Lawyer Dimitry Gabunia defends the rights of the TV-Company’s founders. He said the prosecutor’s office shall launch criminal case against Erosi Kitsmarishvili for hindering professional activities of journalists.