VANCOUVER — Georgia’s economy minister has reportedly lashed out at The Vancouver Sun, calling it a Russian propaganda unit, after this newspaper reported an apparent discrepancy in the 28-year-old’s official biography.
Vera Kobalia came under international fire this week after a racy photograph of her posing next to some scantily clad women surfaced in the Russian media, accusing Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for appointing “strippers” to his cabinet.
Kobalia, who is Georgian, denies claims that the photo – which was pulled from her Facebook page – was taken at a Vancouver strip club, insisting it was snapped 10 years ago in Florida.
But the risque picture is now just the tip of the media furore after The Sun decided to probe Kobalia’s work experience.
In her official biography posted on a Georgian government site, the minister claims she worked a television producer in Vancouver for Global TV and CBC.
However, as previously reported in The Sun, no one at the Global TV newsroom could recall the name, and Petra Mehner at Global’s Human Resources department said there is no record of Kobalia ever having been on the payroll.
Kobalia is now defending her claims of working for Global and denies doctoring her resume.
She blames the “rumours” as Russian propaganda designed to throw her off her mission of developing Georgia’s economy.
In an interview with Civil.ge, she is reported as saying: “I understand it very well, that Russia, the Russian authorities and those who support the Russian authorities do not want the Georgian economy to develop and do not want Georgia to become a strong country. They are wrong if they think that they will obstruct me doing my job by disseminating disinformation and rumors of this type.”
“Yes, of course I’ve worked” in Global TV, she added.
Kobalia was appointed minister of economy and sustainable development this month. According to her father, Kobalia met the Georgian president in Vancouver during the Winter Games in February.
The online biography also says Kobalia graduated from BCIT in 2004, where she studied business administration and informational technologies. BCIT would not confirm or deny whether she graduated from a program, saying it has a policy to protect students’ privacy.
kholloway@vancouversun.com
Click here to read The Vancouver Sun’s earlier report.
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