Tax Inspection VS Independent TV Company

TV-25 Urges International Organizations for Help

Shorena Sarishvili, Batumi

Batumi City Court imposed 277 247 GEL on Batumi based independent TV Company TV-25. This is the debt accumulated during the governance of Aslan Abashidze, former head of Adjara Autonomous Republic that was later annulled by the supreme court of Georgia; however, Batumi Tax Inspection demands the TV Company to pay the debt.

The sum requested by the Batumi Tax Department is debt accumulated during the governance of Aslan Abashidze. The debt was not paid because certain people close to the officials of the former government of Adjara Autonomous Republic, owned control packet of the company. “My partners were compelled to assign the TV Company on Soso Gogitidze, former Security Minister of Adjara, for free. The legal owners managed to get the TV Company back in 2004 after the Rose Revolution. On September 1, 2004 Batumi Tax Inspection Department ordered us to pay the debt. We appealed to the Batumi City Court and the latter did not satisfy our suit. We appealed against the court decision at Kutaisi Appeal Court. The Latter annulled our debt. Batumi Tax Inspection then appealed to the Supreme Court of Georgia and the latter did not change the decision of the Appeal Court,” said Merab Merkviladze, one of the founders of the TV-25.

Since 2008, instead executing the decision of the Supreme Court, the Batumi Tax Department worked out new request protocol and included the old debt of 277 247 GEL in it again. “In addition to that, in 2007 our bank account was sequestered and new debts and fines accumulated. The TV Company cannot cover the debt and we are going to appeal to the Court again. We will appeal even to the Strasbourg Appeal Court to protect our rights. We are not avoiding tax responsibilities but the validity of the fines shall be clarified,” said Merkviladze.

Deputy Head of the Batumi Tax Department Eldar Varshalomidze stated: “Unless the debt is paid, unfortunately, obligatory measures will be taken in regard with the TV Company. We do not want to politicize this fact.”

Despite the wish of Eldar Varshalomidze this case is already declared to be politically motivated and after October 16 demonstrations in support of TV Company will start in Batumi. One of the founders of the TV Company said that diplomatic corps, non-governmental organizations, public defender’s office and opposition parties support this demonstration. “The main point is to prevent putting TV Company to auction. Tax Inspection can do everything in order to execute the decision of the Batumi City Court. They do not care about the decisions of higher judiciary institutions which annulled the judgment of the Batumi City Court. It is attack on freedom of expression. Our TV Company is independent and people trust us.”