Imedi TV owner describes period of United National Movement’s governance as time of total elite corruption, political repression

Speaking before the Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission, Imedi TV owner Irakli Rukhadze on Wednesday strongly criticised the period of the United National Movement’s governance, describing it as a time of total elite corruption and political repression.

In his remarks, Rukhadze described the UNM-era Government as “a bloodthirsty machine that destroyed everything on its path”, stressing that the repression extended beyond business into arts and all spheres of life.

“It was a total, bloodthirsty machine that destroyed everything on its path - and it didn’t target only business. It affected everyone, including the arts and every other sphere. These were people with absolute authority, and Imedi TV was the last barrier standing in the way of their total domination”, he said.

“For some reason, people believe that the economy thrived under Saakashvili - this is an absolute lie. It was a time of unimaginable elite corruption. There was corruption during Shevardnadze’s time as well, but I would argue it was better for the economy - we could even call it “democratic corruption”. At least then, bribes functioned like a tax - those with better business acumen could still generate value. Under Saakashvili, however, it didn’t matter how capable or resourceful you were. Only those who had political permission could participate in economic activity”, Rukhadze continued.

He further emphasised that fear had dominated the business environment under Saakashvili’s rule.

“They even calculated how much Badri [Patarkatsishvili] had allegedly spent during the 7 November events - around two million - and they became paranoid. If you had more than a million, and you weren’t a “friend”, they would force you to invest or simply take it from you. That fear destroyed investor confidence - no one wanted to invest in Georgia anymore. This led to an economic collapse. If they hadn’t lost the 2012 elections, the country would have entered a catastrophic state”, Rukhadze said.

He recalled a meeting in summer 2012 when the then-Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili reportedly told businessmen that “our economic problems are your fault, and from now on the state will enter your businesses and begin managing them”.

“Fortunately, they lost the elections in October, and this experiment never happened”, Rukhadze concluded.