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Out of Protest Journalist Refused to Anchor TV Program

November 10, 2008

MP does not deny his close relations with criminals

 

 Marina Gogoladze

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Journalist Marina Gogoladze refused to lead up the weekly TV program “Studio-Dialog” for the regional TV Company “Lagodekhi” and citing Gogoladze, she explained “that because of the interference of the director of the TV Company in the editorial independence of the TV talk program is why she decided to refused to host the program.”

Journalist stated that Lali Khubulava, director of the regional TV Company, insisted that she write out the questions for the invited guest at least one hour before the program was on-air and than for her, the director to agree to the questions to be asked. “We used to agree the topic of the program with invited guests. The director then demanded me to write questions beforehand and to share them before asking the guest. I refused to do so. Khubulava forbade me to ask those questions to the respondent that could be unpleasant for them. Moreover, because of recent oppressions, Khubulava continuously repeated that she had had experienced serious problems because of my presence at the TV company. Working in such an environment is completely unacceptable for me,” explained Marina Gogoladze.

Lali Khubulava states that she cannot understand why Marina Gogoladze refused to lead up the TV program. She had never interfered in the editorial independence of the TV program before.

“Studio-Dialog” was aired at 8:00 PM on every Monday by Lagodekhi TV Company.

It must be mentioned, that Marina Gogoladze was threatened short time ago when she was anchoring the TV program.

Eva Lomtadze, chairperson of the social commission department and member of the Lagodekhi municipality board, threatened the journalist during a live TV program. Lomtadze became irritated because the TV presenter did not block any questions of the people calling into the studio. Besides that, they released the recording where residents of Lagodekhi criticized Guram Kakalashvili, MP from the Lagodekhi district.

Since the incident, Guram Kakalashvili demanded the director of the TV Company to fire Marina Gogoladze several times. After Lali Khubulava refused, the MP to obey his demand and rather her husband was threatened by criminals-unless director of the TV Company satisfied the demand of the MP and to fire Marina Gogoladze. The threat was made that their son, a boy in 11th form, would have drugs planted on him and he would be sent to prison.

It is noteworthy that while talking with the husband of Khubulava, two alleged criminals-Zura Kakashvili and Gela Makhatadze were sitting in the personal car of the MP.

MP Guram Kakalashvili during his conversation with us does not deny having close relations with the so-called criminals in the persons of Kakashvili and Makhatadze. “Kakashvili’s mother was ill and he asked me for a car. You might have seen them at that moment. These people do not have any criminal records. I cannot tell you whether they were members of the Mkhedrioni Armed Formation or not.  As for the charge that they had threatened the director of the TV Company and that her son would end up prison, and this threat was made under my name, it is incorrect,” said Kakalashvili.

By the way, Zura Kakashvili accompanied Guram Kakalashvili during parliamentary elections on May 21, 2008. On Election Day journalists and observers in Kabali polling station were affronted and assaulted under the orders of Kakalashvili and Kakashvili; the journalists had observed various instances of election violations taking place the different polling station.

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