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Who Owned Georgia English.pdf

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On October 5, Maestro TV and Global TV were informedthat 38,000 and 100,000 satellite dishes, which authorities hadillegally seized from the two companies over vote buying andillegal party financing allegations, would be returned. Theprosecutor’s office lifted the seizure following a decision by theTbilisi City Court on October 2, the day after the elections. 403On October 9th, the <strong>Georgia</strong>n Public Broadcaster (GPB)Channel 1 cancelled two current affairs talk shows and firedthe editorial staff. Controversy around GPB intensified afteremployees of Kanal PIK, the GPB’s Russian language newschannel, aired a silent protest in a newscast on October 15th,after the station’s signal had recently been yanked off the Hotbirdsatellite. They demanded to know whether the station would beshut down, why they hadn’t been paid their salaries, why hadthe station’s budget been spent early, and where did that moneygo. PIK was subsequently shut down. On November 15th, the<strong>Georgia</strong>n Revenue Service launched a probe to find out whythe GPB accumulated a 3.8 million GEL debt in unpaid taxes.Lawmakers from the UNM complained the probe was an attemptto pressure the GPB, while <strong>Georgia</strong>’s finance minister stated hehas a right to learn why the station hadnot been able to pay itsdebt. 404On November 26th, former UNM lawmaker, Koba Bekaurilevelled serious allegations against Maestro TV that the 2005arrest of 202 TV owner, Shalva Ramishvili, was mastermindedby government members in advance, including interior ministerVano Merabishvili, justice minister Zurab Adeishvili and chiefof the constitutional security force, Dato Akhalaia. He statedPresident Saakashvili was personally interested in getting the TVcompany off the air. 405 To date, no charges have been filed.403 Maestro and Global TV-owned Satellite Dish Antennas Unseized. Media.Ge http://www.media.ge/en/stories/maestroandglobaltvowneds Accessed on04/12/2012404 Revenue Service Launches Public TV Tax Probe. Civil.ge http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25426 Accessed on 04/12/2012405 Koba Bekauri: Shalva Ramishvili’s Case Masterminded by Adeishviliand Merabishvili. Media.ge http://www.media.ge/en/stories/kobabekaurishalvaramishv Accessed 04/12/201298

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