"Imedi" boss accuses Russian special services of faking his telephone conversation

In Georgia, Giorgiy Arveladze, Director General of the "Imedi" TV Company, treated the record of his alleged telephone conversation with his assistant on the eve of the scandalous programme put on air on March 13 as a "forgery" prepared by Russian special services. The record appeared in the Internet and was promulgated by many mass media.

Mr Arveladze said in the evening on March 15 on air of the Georgian TV Company "Rustavi-2" in his comment on the record that "it was provocation backed up by Russian special agencies."

"It's a fabrication - collection of phrases from my different conversations. Certainly, there was no such conversation, it's a compilation. With the same success they could have simulated my conversation with Dalai Lama or the Pope." "It's another confirmation of the reality of the threats referred in that programme," the "Rosbalt" Agency quotes the "Imedi" boss.

In the evening on March 15, a record of telephone conversation appeared in the Internet of Giorgiy Arveladze, Director General of the "Imedi", and certain Eka. A person with voice similar to Arveladze's voice says that the idea to simulate an invasion of Russian troops had been coordinated with President of Georgia, and Mikhail Saakashvili had wished not to warn spectators about the hoax. Eka (possibly, Eka Temalashvili, head of the information-political department of the "Imedi") warns her interlocutor about the code of ethics and broadcasting legislation. She said that panic would burst out in Georgia, if the report was put on air. At the same time, her counterpart saw no special reasons for panic, as the "Echo Moskvy" reports.