Justice

Zaza Okuashvili gives testimony to the Court on Iberia TV case

“The state was governed with criminal tricks and methods,” – the founder of Omega Group and the member of the Adjara Supreme Council, Zaza Okuashvili told journalists at the Tbilisi City Court, which is currently hearing the case of Iberia TV closure and the forceful seizure of its broadcasting license. In his interview given after the hearing, Zaza Okuashvili spoke about the developments of February 19th, 2014, when Iberia TV and other companies run by Omega Group were raided by the riot police.

At today’s hearing, Zaza Okuashvili made a detailed description of the pressure on him by that time senior authorities, who urged him to give up his shares of Iberia TV and other companies of Omega Group.

Furthermore, Zaza Okuashvili said that it was the late business tycoon, Badri Patarkatsishvili, who acted as a mediator between him and ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili along with other officials.

Zaza Okuashvili said the riot police raid in Iberia TV and other companies of Omega Group started briefly after he refused to transfer his shares to them and after the same raid, former prosecutor general Zurab Adeishvili and his deputy, Giorgi Latsabidze started negotiations with him on giving up the shares of his business.

“A big television with 500 journalists employed, stopped to work. The firm, which has so far contributed one and half billion to the state budget, was also stopped and do you think that Saakashvili was not aware of all this? The law shall be supreme for all and any official shall be held accountable for a committed crime,” – Zaza Okuashvili told journalists.

As prosecutor of the case Emzar Gagnidze told journalists, Zaza Okuashvili told the court that his authorized person, Levan Agdgomelashvili, was summoned to the prosecutor’s office under the request by Zurab Adeishvili, where deputy prosecutor Giorgi Latsabidze met him and categorically urged him to give up Iberia TV broadcasting license instead of which, he would be allowed to resume the work of the Omega Group companies, which had been closed during the previous 11 months.

The hearing on the case of Iberia TV closure and the forceful seizure of its broadcasting license was resumed with the testimony of Zaza Okuashvili on April 24th,