The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has released a statement regarding the removal of the recordings from TV Pirveli. According to the statement, the TV company has the right not to hand over the materials to the investigation.

“As the public is aware, due to the secret recordings disseminated by TV Pirveli, on March 9, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia launched an investigation into unauthorized recording of and/or eavesdropping on a private conversation, as well as recording private communication, illegal using and dissemination of information obtained through technical means – the elements of the crime contrary to Article 158 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

On the same day, based on the motion of the Prosecution Service, which concerned the content of the television report on TV Pirveli, Tbilisi City Court issued a warrant on seizing the device from TV Pirveli, which had the recordings of private conversations used in the show “Nodar Meladzis Shabati” on March 6.

On March 10, before said court warrant was delivered to the TV company by post, the Prosecution Service had a phone conversation with one of the employees of TV Pirveli, during which they were informed that the court warrant would be sent by post for execution and that they could provide the investigation with the materials requested by the court warrant by the form and at the time and the place convenient for them. They expressed readiness to cooperate with the investigation in the matter.

We would like to emphasize that the publicly spread information that the Prosecution Service is going to enter the TV company by force is false and serves the purpose of intentionally misleading the society. This is also proven by the fact that the court issued a warrant only on seizing the device having specific electronic information and not searching the office of the TV company.

It is significant that in accordance with the procedural law, the TV company and its journalists have the right not to hand over to the investigation an item, a document or another object having the information important to the case. However, the Prosecution Service of Georgia hopes that TV Pirveli will cooperate with the investigation and will provide us with the secret recordings aired by it, so that the relevant examinations for establishing the authenticity of said recordings can be ordered promptly and all the required investigative and procedural actions can be conducted.

Despite the position expressed by TV Pirveli about the court warrant, if they wish to cooperate with the investigation, they can submit the secret recordings in their possession and the device having electronic information to the Prosecution Service at the time they find convenient.

We would like to explain once again that the goal of the investigation is to ensure rapid obtaining/reception of the secret recordings aired by the TV company, so that the relevant examinations for establishing their authenticity can be ordered in a timely manner and all the required investigative and procedural actions can be conducted. Cooperation with the investigation on the TV company’s part is essential in this process”, - reads the statement.