On September 10, 2018, around 40 employees of TV company Iberia marched to the Government Chancellery in protest. The demonstrators carried Georgian and English-language signs reading “We Speak the Truth,” “I Defend Iberia,” and “You Can’t Silence Us.” They demanded the launch of a criminal investigation based on an audio recording in which former Sports Minister Levan Kipiani allegedly asked Omega Group owner and Iberia TV founder Zaza Okuashvili to hand over the channel in exchange for resolving business problems. In the recording, Kipiani hinted that the government was irritated by Iberia’s editorial stance. Television monitoring at the time confirmed that Iberia was not pro-government.

The channel temporarily suspended broadcasting, with its news director saying: “The Prosecutor’s Office should at least recognize the criminal elements in this audio recording. This is clearly obstruction of journalistic work. We are showing the public that journalists are being pressured.”

Representatives from the Public Defender’s Office visited Iberia to assess the situation, and on September 11, journalists met with President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Okuashvili claimed that the government was exerting financial pressure on Omega Group—which owned Iberia—because it disapproved of the channel’s content. The Ministry of Finance accused Omega Group of owing about 51 million GEL in taxes. The company admitted the debt but sought restructuring, a proposal the ministry rejected.

Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani denied any political pressure, calling it “shameful” that some businesses “hide behind the media” to avoid paying taxes.

An investigation into the recordings was opened on September 12 under Article 180 (fraud) of the Criminal Code. On October 3, former Minister Kipiani testified in court, claiming that he and Okuashvili had staged the recordings to convince foreign creditors that Omega Group was under state pressure and thus delay debt payments.

On October 16, Iberia TV ceased broadcasting entirely. Twenty-one dismissed employees later filed lawsuits against the company, demanding compensation and payment for lost wages.