Ombudsman Wants Case Against ‘Nationalist’ MP Badri Nanetashvili To Be Studied

Ombudsman Wants Case Against ‘Nationalist’ MP Badri Nanetashvili To Be Studied

Former and current journalists from the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company and the ‘Trialeti’ newspaper have called for the assistance of the Ombudsman of Georgia. The journalists claim that the Nanetashvili brothers have violated their rights.

According to journalists working with the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company and the ‘Trialeti’ newspaper, they performed various duties assigned to other positions but have never been paid. They had to work to renovate the TV Company’s building. They had to distribute the newspaper and do physical work in the garden. Furthermore, according to the instructions of the Director General, the journalists had to blackmail local businessmen and the heads of local administrations to pay for advertisement services they had provided them with. If they refused to do these things, they would be threatened that discrediting information would be spread about them. Journalists who could not to do such deeds had money deducted from their salaries. What is more, the journalists were verbally insulted during meetings in the office.

The journalists state that they never had paid vacations or received signed labor contracts. They also never signed any documents stating the amount of their salaries. Their salaries were just handed to them in Badri Nanetashvili’s office.

The journalists applied to the Chief of Shida Kartli Financial Police, Zuarb Arsoshvili, in order to have the financial violations of Badri Nanetashvili investigated. Representatives of the Ombudsman of Georgia tried to find out whether an investigation had been started, but Arsoshvili refused to provide them with any information.
 
The representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office also requested information from the Director General of the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company, John Nanetashvili. John Nanetashvili said that there were no labor contracts in ‘Trialeti’, because all employees were appointed or discharged according to how many orders they received. He confirmed that salaries were not registered but that he paid income taxes regularly.

Nanetashvili also confirmed that the journalists used to voluntarily perform other duties, although he denied the blackmailing of businessmen.

The Ombudsman of Georgia has sent all the materials he has managed to gain in regards to the activities of Badri Nanetashvili, that are inconsistent with the status of an MP, to the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia - Nino Burjanadze. He recommended that she study the case thoroughly and react to it properly.

The Ombudsman, Sozar Subar, stated that he has been protecting the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company for years. “This time, according to the evidence, the rights of the journalists are being violated by MP Nanetashvili and I am not going to close my eyes regarding this case”, says Sozar Subari.

As far as we are concerned, the power of MP Badri Nanetashvili of the Nationalist Party will soon be examined. It should be mentioned that the Shida Kartli Prosecutor’s Office requested financial documents from the Kareli Administration two days ago. According to the police, Bardi Nanetashvili from Kareli, may also be involved in financial irregularities that were discovered in the Kareli Administration.

Saba Tsitsikashvili from Gori