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

Letter of Shalva Ramishvili, the co-founder of TV “202”

September 2, 2005

Letter of Shalva Ramishvili, the co-founder of TV “202”

Tbilisi. September 1.”GHN”.

Because of the current circumstances I lack the opportunity to write a big letter, that’s why I will very shortly state my position on the provocation of August 27.

I have never, even with a word or gesture, offered Koba Bekauri to block the investigative film instead of money. It was impossible. The film was being prepared by the studio “Reporter,” which has labor contract with the TV “202”. The attempt of blocking the film by me would cause the scandal and the film would anyway be shown in any case. Everything was in quite the contrary. Bekauri had been asking, threatening me frequently for the last four months not to show that film. His calls (which are recorded in my mobile) were so bothering and frequent, that I was asking many people to help to get rid off him. There are Levan Ramishvili from Liberty Institute, Tina Khidasheli and the staff of the studio “Reporter” among those people. I was explaining him patiently that the film would be created maximum objectively and it was impossible to block it. I arranged his two meetings with the staff of “Reporter”. These meetings are recorded by the hidden cameras. Bekauri was permanently refused. He was frustrated. He continued to meet me, my partners in 202, journalists and he was demanding to stop the film.

Suddenly when I was in Kobuleti on August 23 or 24, my friend Irma Stepnadze phoned me and told that Bekauri had a commercial sentence to me. I refused to consider it. After arrival in Tbilisi I met Stepnadze, who told me that Bekauri was going to pay USD 100 000 for blocking the film. I thought that to it would be great to record the fact that Bekauri pays large amount of money for blocking the film as it would strengthen the arguments of this film, because it was supposed that no reaction was followed by the government on the facts shown in such films. As Vakho Komakhidze was not in Tbilisi and I could not use the hidden camera (it was with Vakho) to record the meeting, I asked Bekauri to transaction the money with the assistance of witnesses with official documents in Bank. The administration of the Basis Bank, namely Zura Tsikhistavi knows about it, which I asked to allocate the room for me and Bekauri (as I mentioned his surname as well), where the cameras would be and where the money would be counted and the transaction would be done on August 26. Suddenly Irma called me early in the morning before the meeting and told me that the plans changed and he would give me money at her home. I phoned Dato Kokhreidze and asked him to take me to Irma on Barnovi str., I explained him that I was going to meet Bekauri for taking money. It was not time to explain other details, because Kokhreidze arrived from Kobuleti late previous night. The change of the meeting place caused the presumption that he was scared and was not going to give money. Having seen Bekauri with the envelope in his hand proved that everything was serious and I took the money. If I didn’t take it, he would suspect something and he would not come on the second meeting. I was going to record how he was passing money with hidden cameras on the second meeting. At that time Vakho Komakhidze would be arrived and everything would be arranged. Unfortunately, my first try of investigation finished by provocation. The facts in my letter can and must be testified by the evidences of witnesses and phone records, but I want to say the main thing that they have a frame against me according which I am taking money. The money they took is false evidence and the proof is the words of Bekauri. Now you have my words. Which word will be priority - his or mine - it must be decided by my people. I trust only in you.

News