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ARMENIAN COURT ADDS TO DISSIDENT TV'S WOES
By Ruben Meloyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 4 2007
Armenia's Economic Court has added to a controversial government
crackdown on a provincial television station that has been facing
uncertain future since providing airtime to former President Levon
Ter-Petrosian about two months ago.
The Gyumri-based GALA TV was accused by the State Tax Service (STS)
last month of underreporting its advertising revenues over the
past two years to avoid paying more than 25 million drams ($82,000)
in taxes. GALA's parent company, Chap, rejected the accusation as
baseless and politically motivated.
The STS responded by asking the Economic Court to freeze the company's
bank accounts and other assets worth the alleged tax shortfall. The
court rejected the demand on November 26 only to reverse its stance a
week later. Issuing the injunction late Monday, it cited "additional
documents" submitted by the STS in support of the case against GALA.
"Our bank account is frozen and we are unable to pay employees'
wages," Vahan Khachatrian, the owner of GALA and Chap, told RFE/RL
on Tuesday. "But we intend to continue our work. All the employees
understand that this is a temporary problem. I don't think we will
face serious difficulties."
Khachatrian suggested at the same time that the court issued the
order under government pressure. "Something probably happened [in
the period between the two verdicts.] I think they put additional
pressure on the court," he said.
GALA is also facing another, more serious STS accusation: that it has
been illegally using a TV tower in Gyumri to broadcast its programs
to Armenia's second largest city and surrounding areas. Late last
month the Gyumri mayor's office asked the Economic Court to force
the TV channel to remove its transmitter from the tower. The court
is scheduled to open hearings on the case on December 17.
The accusations were brought as a result of a financial inspection of
Chap's operations conducted by the STS shortly after the TV station
broadcast on October 14 a landmark speech in which Ter-Petrosian
subjected Armenia's leadership to harsh criticism. Ter-Petrosian
supporters say GALA and another, even smaller local TV station were
the only broadcasters that agreed to air, as a paid advertisement,
the September 21 speech that marked the former president's return to
active politics.
Khachatrian claims that the National Commission on Television and
Radio, a government-controlled body issuing and revoking broadcasting
licenses, had warned him against airing Ter-Petrosian's verbal attacks
on President Robert Kocharian. The commission denies this.
By Ruben Meloyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 4 2007
Armenia's Economic Court has added to a controversial government
crackdown on a provincial television station that has been facing
uncertain future since providing airtime to former President Levon
Ter-Petrosian about two months ago.
The Gyumri-based GALA TV was accused by the State Tax Service (STS)
last month of underreporting its advertising revenues over the
past two years to avoid paying more than 25 million drams ($82,000)
in taxes. GALA's parent company, Chap, rejected the accusation as
baseless and politically motivated.
The STS responded by asking the Economic Court to freeze the company's
bank accounts and other assets worth the alleged tax shortfall. The
court rejected the demand on November 26 only to reverse its stance a
week later. Issuing the injunction late Monday, it cited "additional
documents" submitted by the STS in support of the case against GALA.
"Our bank account is frozen and we are unable to pay employees'
wages," Vahan Khachatrian, the owner of GALA and Chap, told RFE/RL
on Tuesday. "But we intend to continue our work. All the employees
understand that this is a temporary problem. I don't think we will
face serious difficulties."
Khachatrian suggested at the same time that the court issued the
order under government pressure. "Something probably happened [in
the period between the two verdicts.] I think they put additional
pressure on the court," he said.
GALA is also facing another, more serious STS accusation: that it has
been illegally using a TV tower in Gyumri to broadcast its programs
to Armenia's second largest city and surrounding areas. Late last
month the Gyumri mayor's office asked the Economic Court to force
the TV channel to remove its transmitter from the tower. The court
is scheduled to open hearings on the case on December 17.
The accusations were brought as a result of a financial inspection of
Chap's operations conducted by the STS shortly after the TV station
broadcast on October 14 a landmark speech in which Ter-Petrosian
subjected Armenia's leadership to harsh criticism. Ter-Petrosian
supporters say GALA and another, even smaller local TV station were
the only broadcasters that agreed to air, as a paid advertisement,
the September 21 speech that marked the former president's return to
active politics.
Khachatrian claims that the National Commission on Television and
Radio, a government-controlled body issuing and revoking broadcasting
licenses, had warned him against airing Ter-Petrosian's verbal attacks
on President Robert Kocharian. The commission denies this.