MIA Says Leaked Talk between Rustavi 2 Director and Ex-head of Court is Authentic

TBILISI – The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia stated today that the recording that leaked online through a Ukrainian portal on October 3, 2016, revealing a conversation between Nika Gvaramia, the Director of the opposition-inclined Rustavi 2 TV, and the ex-head of Tbilisi City Court Mamuka Akhvlediani, is authentic.

According to the MIA experts have confirmed that the recording is not fabricated, and the voices really belong to Mamuka Akhvlediani and Nika Gvaramia.

Gvaramia was summoned to MIA for questioning this evening in relation to the recording.

In the conversation, Akhvlediani speaks negatively about Georgia’s current head of the Supreme Court, Nino Gvenetadze; he calls her a “training pillow.” He also speaks about the developments in the court system, saying the situation is “catastrophic.”

Gvaramia, who served as Georgia’s Justice and Education Minister under the previous United National Movement government, said the recording was made by him. He says that at the time, the Tbilisi City Court was discussing the ownership issue of Rustavi 2, since the former and current owners were disputing the ownership of the channel’s shares. 

He said he made the recording because he thought Akhvlediani would say something interesting that could be used as evidence during the trials. 

However, the TV director general says it was not him, who released the recording.

The ex-head of the Tbilisi City Court said he did not know Gvaramia was recording the conversation. 

Akhvlediani was dismissed from the position of the chairman of Tbilisi City Court on February 22, 2016 by the High Council of Justice (HCJ), a body overseeing the judicial system.

The former head of the City Court insists his dismissal was unfair.

By Thea Morrison