“Associated with losses”: what is known about the dismissal of the Georgian leader who offended Putin

Leading the Georgian Rustavi 2 television company, George Gabunia, who insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin, he will be fired when he returns from vacation. This was stated by the new general director of Rustavi 2 Paat Saliya.

“Director of the information service of the television company Nodar Meladze was dismissed due to a conflict of interest. Several more journalists were fired along with him, but they are on vacation at this stage, ”he said during a briefing.

Nodar Meladze served as head of the Rustavi 2 news department. At the same time, the editorial policy of the television company may remain the same, Salia noted. He justified the decision to dismiss several journalists with the loss-making of Rustavi 2.

“The dismissal of Meladze, Laperashvili, Anjparidze, Gabunia is connected with those financial issues, the losses that the television company faced,” Talia quoted Salia as saying.

Note that a month ago, Salia on the air of Palitra TV claimed that Gabunia would remain in the television company.

“In this case, I am neither an adversary, nor a supporter (the work of Gabunia on Rustavi 2. - RT ). I have already said and fixed the position that everyone remains in their places, ”Sputnik Georgia quotes Salia as saying.

At the same time, on August 9, the most former director of Rustavi 2, Nika Guaramia, was charged with deliberately making the company unprofitable. According to the Prosecutor General of Georgia, the damage from his actions exceeds 6.763 million lari (more than 150 million rubles).

“A decision has been made to accuse Nika Guaramia of committing a crime under Art. 220 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which implies the use of managerial or representative powers against the legitimate interests of the organization in order to derive benefits or advantages for itself or other persons, which entailed significant damage, ”the department emphasized.

“We consider it totally unacceptable”

Recall, on July 7, Georgy Gabunia, on the air of his author’s program PS, insulted Vladimir Putin. This provoked spontaneous protests near the building of the television company - the demonstrators demanded the dismissal of the presenter. Because of their actions, the channel was forced to interrupt broadcasting - it resumed only the next day.

Guaramia, who then held the post of general director of the television company, refused to apologize for the statement of his subordinate. “I fully support this pathos,” he declared. Nevertheless, Rustavi 2 then decided to suspend Gabunia for two months.

“Journalist Georgy Gabunia was suspended for two months, this restriction will apply to all programs that he prepares / runs,” the television company said in a statement.

Gabunia’s statement caused sharp criticism both in Russia and in Georgia itself. In the Kremlin, insults to Putin were called unacceptable.

“As regards insults to both our country and our president, of course, we consider them absolutely unacceptable, we strongly condemn them,” said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Georgian President Salome Zarubishvili and Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze also criticized Gabunia’s act, calling it unprofessional and unacceptable. According to Zarubishvili, insults can serve to "split and increase tension in the country, in relations with Russia."

Georgia's President unequivocally condemns hate speech, verbal agression, insults and provocatory statements made today on @ Rustavi2tv. They go against all Georgian traditions, serve only to divide and raise tensions in the country, with Russia and in the region.

On July 9, the State Duma unanimously adopted a statement on additional economic measures against Georgia. The document recommended that the government submit a series of measures to the president, including a ban on the supply of Georgian wines, waters and restriction of remittances to Russia.

“We consider it unacceptable to insult our country, to threaten our citizens, insult our president,” said the speaker of the lower house Vyacheslav Volodin the day before.

Later, Putin himself spoke about the words of Gabunia. He opposed anti-Georgian sanctions.

“As for the various kinds of sanctions against Georgia, I would not do this precisely out of respect for the Georgian people. Because one went out, blurted out something, pretending to be something - no one knew about him before, but now everyone is talking. In this sense, he achieved his goal ... But there are people in Georgia who are protesting against this. For the sake of these people, for the sake of restoring full-fledged relations between Russia and Georgia, I would not do anything to complicate our relations, ”the President of Russia emphasized.