Kibar Khalvashi plans to sell Rustavi 2
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Tusday, August 13
Kibar Khalvashi, the 100% shareholder of Rustavi 2, says that he has decided to sell the channel. The channel’s owner noted that he would only talk to people who have a bank guarantee or who invest at least a million dollars in a contest account. The owner of the channel will become the one who is willing to pay the most.
According to Kibar Khalvashi, there are all legal grounds for starting a company insolvency case. According to him, the debt of the channel is approaching 70 million GEL, out of which 27 million is a budgetary tax.
As Khalvashi said, Rustavi 2 has accumulated this debt since the dispute with Rustavi 2 began. He said that this process is connected to Nika Gvaramia, former director of the company, and called him a “robber.”
“Practically, Rustavi 2 owes everyone money – from a water supply company to American exit poll companies. Much of the debt has been accumulated over the last few years, exactly at the time I started the dispute, and it was clear that everything was planned,” said Khalvashi.
He also said that he wants to find someone who will take care of Rustavi 2.
“Sadly, my finances are not enough to help the channel to overcome the crisis. So, I want to say it publicly that I am ready to talk to anyone who is willing to buy Rustavi 2 and who will help the channel to overcome this crisis and become a successful broadcaster,” noted Khalvashi.
Also, he added that he is trying to sell Rustavi 2 because of the “debt and a critical financial situation.”
He also says that the only person that he will not negotiate with is the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. According to him, everyone who is willing to become the owner of Rustavi 2 should make a public statement.
As Khalvashi said, he plans to sell the company in a week.
According to the current director of the company, Paata Salia, he will address the court to investigate damages done to the company by the former Director, Nika Gvaramia. According to Salia, the company’s expenses have been increasing significantly since 2015, and revenues have been declining, but despite the loss, the company’s management has received hundreds of thousands of bonuses.
He also said that Rustavi 2’s unique archive material was transferred to another company. According to Salia, Gvaramia made this decision six days before the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights was announced. As Salia noted, the archive material of the company was transferred to Intermedia for a minimal amount of money, while Intermedia’s shareholder is considered as a Director of the new television, which will be opened by the former Minister of Defense, David Kezarashvili.
Answering journalists’ questions, asking if Khalvashi would sell the company to Ivanishvili, Salia said that he does not know “if Ivanishvili wants to buy Rustavi 2.”
“I don’t know if Ivanishvili has any interest for the company, but, as Khalvashi said, everyone can buy the company other than Saakashvili and Gvaramia,” said Salia.
The Former director of the company talked about the selling of channel and said that Khlvashi lied when talking about the debt of the company. As he said, Rustavi 2 had only about 30 million of debt when Khalvashi became its owner.
Gvaramia also noted that it is impossible “to sell a company in a week if you have not already decided who the owner will be.” He also replied to Salia by saying that “the archive has not only been sold once, but it has been sold several times, and we have been making money on it ... Learn what it means to do business and where you are.”
As the political expert, Gia Khukhashvili said, no one would buy Rustavi 2 for commercial reasons. “If there are any buyers, which I doubt, it will be a political deal, and it will have nothing to do with commercial logic.”
According to the Chairperson of the United National Movement, Roman Gotsiridze, Khalvashi’s statement is a plan to close the channel, while making money out of it. As the opposition MP explained, the TV company will be declared bankrupt, after which the property will be sold.
Less than a month ago, as a result of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, Rustavi 2 was given to Kibar Khalvashi. After fighting for four years, Khalvashi decided to sell Rustavi 2 through transparent competition.
