Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Head of Chocheli’s Workshop Curses Journalist and Threatens with Physical Assault

March 20, 2012

Gela Mtivlishvili
Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Director of the Ltd Interplast’s workshop Misha Berianidze threatened Mari Otarashvili, correspondent of the newspaper Resonance and Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti with physical assault. The owners of the Ltd Interplast are Mtskheta-Mtianeti regional governor Tsezar Chocheli and his brother Iago Chocheli.

“I first heard about Misha Berianidze in November of 2011. The locals said he carried on propaganda in favor of de-facto vice mayor Alan Kotaev among Akhalgori district residents living in Tserovani IDP settlement during South Ossetia’s de-facto presidential pre-election campaign. Later on, he was agitating for oppositionist Alla Dzhioyeva. I tried to check the information with Berianidze and called him on November 10, 2011.”

“Who told you that I was agitating [for them]? … them! Don’t you have anything else to do?! Don’t you care what will happen with people after you write about them?! Who told you that, I … his family! How can you teach me to be correct? … you!” Berianidze insulted the journalist and cursed her. 

Mari Otarashvili is the only Georgian journalist who manages to write about the current situation in the occupied Akhalgori district. She is registered there.

On March 16, Mari Otarashvili’s article “Pre-Election Turmoil in Akhalgori District” was published in the newspaper Resonance. She wrote: “Last year, Tskhinvali de-facto vice-mayor Alan Kotaev won the de-facto presidential elections; both local inhabitants and de-facto governmental officials claimed that Misha Berianidze carried out propaganda in his favor in Tserovani IDP settlement; he is an ally of Mtskheta Mtianeti regional governor Tsezar Chocheli. However, Berianidze categorically denied the information with the newspaper Resonance.”

In the evening of March 19 Misha Berianidze called Mari Otarashvili on the cell phone. “Explain to me, why you are writing about me! Tell me, who updates you with the information! Do you know me? What do you want?! Who has told you it, …them! Explain to me what you want! Shall I meet you somewhere and beat you?! … you!”

The journalist cut off the line.

“Why did you cut off the line?! I am a friend of Tsezara [Chocheli]. Tell me what you want. Who ordered you to write it?!” Berianidze cursed the journalist and the newspaper Resonance and threatened her with intimidation if she arrives in Akhalgori and in Tserovani.

ICMM got in touch with Misha Berianidze. He continued cursing with us too.

-Mr. Misha, we are calling you from the ICMM. Why did you insult and threaten journalist Mari Otarashvili?

-Why are not asking her why she wrote about me?

-What do you mean by that? Cannot she write about you?

-No, no and no. Get me correct, brother. Initially she wrote something about me; now she repeated again. Why do you create problems for me, what do you want? I am an IDP and do not interfere in politics at all. Your policy made me displaced person… them… You made me flee from there and now I live in Tserovani but you have not stopped bothering me. Leave me alone. Shall I injury somebody to get rid of you? Do you have right to write about me? Are you asking me anything? Shall I arrive there and make your life bitter? Shall I break her face to leave me alone?

-Are you a friend of Tsezar Chocheli?

-It is nobody’s business who is my friend. … journalists. Leave me alone!

-Do you work in Chocheli’s factory Interplast?

-Yes I do.

-What do you do there?

-I am a director of the workshop.

Despite many attempts, the ICMM could not get through Tsezar Chocheli’s phone number; he did not answer their phone calls.

Tsezar Chocheli filled in his last financial declaration on May 20, 2011. The regional governor clarified in the declaration that based on the agreement signed on August 30, 2008 he lent 19 197 GEL to the Ltd Interplast. Chocheli has received a profit of 4 132 GEL from this loan. The purchase agreement is also mentioned in his declaration. According to this agreement, the regional governor sold his share in the Ltd Interplast to the corporation Remax and Co”. According to this purchase, Chocheli had to receive 7 013 907 GEL within one year (the agreement was signed on January 29, 2009 and was due to expire on January 29, 2012). The declaration indicates that Chocheli has not received any income from this agreement. Tsezar Chocheli has assigned the management right to his brother Iago Chocheli under warrant. The declaration also states that Iago Chocheli gave his share in ltd Mixor and Ltd Larmax to Tsezar Chocheli in exchange of 9.9992 % share in the Ltd Interplast.

ICMM calls upon the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and human rights organizations to study the intimidation fact of the journalist and to respond to it in accordance to the law.

Editorial board of the humanrights.ge refrained from publishing bawdy language of Misha Berianidze, director of the workshop at the Ltd Interplast. However, we think it was right decision of the ICMM to fully and naturally publish his speech because readers should be fully aware of the problem and additionally it will be reliable evidence for the Prosecutor’s Office. The Human Rights Center calls upon the Prosecutor’s Office to interrogate Misha Berianidze and to punish him under the law.

News