Maestro TV broadcast has been off since the morning November 30; the reason is that the leader of the opposition Georgian Party and founder of the Maestro TV managing company Rustavi Management Company Erosi Kitsmarishvili has intruded the broadcaster building.  As the General Director of Maestro TV Ilia (Bacho) Kikabidze told media.ge at 8 a.m. Kitsmarishvili and 10 unidentified persons climbed over the fence and took over the building; they did not let the employees of the broadcaster to enter the building and continue working.

“Kitsmarishvili says it is his office and we do not have the right to go in there.  We have called patrol police and request for Kitsmarishvili to show the documents confirming that he owns the building,” Kikabidze said.  According to him, patrol police that they have called has just entered the broadcaster building. 

“I’d like to know for how long Kitsmarishvili will sit inside the building.  He has blocked the work of the channel.  We will probably not think about prolonging the contract with him, but will not act illegally, as he does,” Ilia Kikabidze said. 

Later Erosi Kitsmarishvili let representatives of several media outlets inside the building and announced that he has entered the building as the head of the company which manages Maestro.  “The founders themselves do not let the employees inside,” Kitsmarishvili said and stated that he has dismissed Ilia Kikabidze and “producer Mamuka Glonti.” 

Rustavi Management Company has been managing Maestro since 2009.  On November 29 of this year founders of the broadcaster accused Kitsmarishvili in an attempt of interfering with editorial independence.