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TELERADIO GAGAUZIA PRESIDENT SAYS THE COMPANY RAIDER SEIZURE OCCURS

09 octomber, 2014
TELERADIO GAGAUZIA PRESIDENT SAYS THE COMPANY RAIDER SEIZURE OCCURS President of the Teleradio Gagauzia public company Anna Harlamenko considers that on the eve of elections to Moldovan Parliament and autonomy bashkan [governor] elections in 2015, a raider attack of the company occurs.

 

She said at the Thursday press conference at Infotag that the GRT is the single broadcasting structure in the autonomy.

 

“Moldovan media are poorly represented in Gagauzia; besides, there is a problem of language barrier. The GRT has a high rating among population, our channel is watched because we are talking about urgent problems of people. Every time elections of any level are approaching, scandals start occurring around the company. Currently, the attempt to lay their hands on the company is made by the Gagauzia Popular Assembly leadership, represented by the Assembly Head Dmitry Constantinov and Chairman of its Juridical Committee Ivan Burguji”, said the manager.

 

According to her, for implementing the raider attack scheme, Head of the GRT Supervisory Board has been substituted.

 

“Instead ofs highly experienced journalist Ecaterina Terzea, Burguji’s sister Sofia Surnina has been appointed. The obedient Supervisory Board appoints businessman Stepan Piron as the television company director. This appointment is challenged in court, because the autonomy legislation is prohibits appointing a person, who owns broadcasting structures, as manager of public television.To Piron belong the largest cable networks in the region”, explained she.

 

Harlamenco said that the organizers of the seizure scheme by means of appointing Piron had a dual purpose – to establish control upon the GRT and audience on the eve of election campaigns, as well as to seize the company’s property.

 

“When I came to the company, the optic fiber network appeared, we already have three broadcasting towers, we are gradually modernizing equipment. It is obvious that these assets, worth millions of lei, are a tidbit. If in 2013 the company earned 170 thousand lei on advertising, then in 2014 this sum grew to 500 thousand lei. We become attractive as a commercial entity as well”, said the company’s Head.

 

The statement, presented at the press conference on behalf of the company personnel, says that the regional authorities exert an unprecedented pressure upon mass media outlets, attempts of a raider seizure take place, as well as property division, political bias of the GRT Supervisory Board, intervention in the editorial policy political blackmail, settling scores.

 

“With the tacit consent of the Gagauzia Bashkan, they (Constantinov and Burguji) are stifling media, crushing the law and establishing lawlessness, autocracy and personal dictatorship”, says the statement of the company staff.

 

The GRT President urged Moldovan authorities, international organizations, diplomatic representative offices to pay attention to what is happening.

 

Infotag’s dossier: Constantinov and a several Gagauzia Popular Assembly deputies announced at the beginning of 2013 about their joining the Democratic Party of Moldova. About a year later, Constantinov left the DPM and announced about his political neutrality. In late September, Constantinov and a number of Assembly deputies said that they will support the Socialist Party on the elections from November 30.

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