In Georgia, Media Holding "Palette" is under second stage of audit

The Audit Service of the Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Georgia has started the second phase of the audit at the editorial board of the Media Holding "Palette". Earlier, the employees of the Service conducted an inventory, and are now start a financial inspection of the six enterprises, which form the Holding. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by Diana Drapaidze, an editor of the Holding's information division.

The procedure of the audit may take a week, or two or three months. Thus, the results will be announced, most likely, not very soon," she explained.

On June 7, the Revenue Department of the Georgian MoF started a routine inventory at the four enterprise of the "Media Palette". The managers of the Holding did not exclude that it "could be an attempt to pressure on the media," and the opposition in this regard has sharply criticized the authorities.

According to the Ombudsman Georgiy Tugushi, such suspicions are not baseless. "I don't want to think that this inspection has to do with the media's coverage of events on May 26," he said.

"We are concerned about the situation around the 'Media Palette'; and we believe that the freedom of speech as a whole is in danger; therefore we support our colleagues," said Tugushi.