Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

According to him, the Company considered the recommendations of the Chamber of Control and the National Enforcement Bureau and decreased the period for Global TV antennas’ installment payment from 10 to 6 years and increased the monthly fee from GEL 4 to GEL 5.5.

“We continued installing the antennas only after considering those recommendations,” Bazlidze says.  According to him, majority of antennas’ stock was stored at Elita Burji Company premises.

Georgian Prosecutor’s Office made the decision on putting lien on Global Contact Consulting not yet installed antennas on June 21.  Prosecutor’s Office claims an investigation has been launched based on the information on the fact of bribing voters, provided by the Chamber of Control.

“Despite the request from the Chamber of Control of Georgia to Global Contact Consulting, certain persons still continue handover of satellite antennas to voters in exchange of votes to a certain political party. Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia believes such activity may have criminal character. Accordingly, there is the basis to launch investigation. 

Additionally, Prosecutor’s Office believes it necessary to use the right granted by the Criminal Procedural Code of Georgia and appeal to the Court for temporary lien on not yet installed antennas of Global Contact Consulting LLC until the end of investigation,” Prosecutor’s Office statement reads.

Today law enforcement officers entered Elita Burji Company Tbilisi and Chakvi warehouses and the Prosecutor’s Office circulated another statement on the given issue. The statement reads that entrance of Police officers to the central and branch warehouses of the Company was reasoned by the Court decision on putting lien on Global Contract Consulting TV antennas, as majority of those antennas are stored at Elita Burji warehouses.  Prosecutor’s Office claims that the given action is not related to revision of Elita Burji business, or other activities.

Tbilisi City Court fined Bidzina Ivanishvili with up to GEL 126 million for installing Global TV antennas to households with 10 year installment payment terms.  Appeal Court later decreased the given amount by half. The Court decided that Bidzina Ivanishvili in fact handed the Global Contact Consulting antennas over to voters for free, due to pre-election reasons, which can be concluded as illegal donation to Georgian Dream Political Coalition.