Sandro Girgvliani Murder Case - Aftermath

Aftermath

At a news conference on February 21, Sandro Girgvliani's mother said that officials from the Interior Ministry “masterminded my son's murder.” She demanded an immediate interrogation of those officials from the Interior Ministry who were present at the cafe with Girgvliani. At a subsequent conference on February 22, Member of Parliament (MP) Koba Davitashvili, leader of the Georgian Conservative Party and MP Koka Guntsadze of the Rightist Opposition opposition party, demanded that the authorities immediately investigate the case. They also alleged that Oleg Melnikov, an employee of the Interior Ministry, was among those persons who kidnapped Girgvliani and his friend.

Guram Donadze, told InterPressNews agency on February 21 that he and other officials had already been interrogated. "I will not make further comments while the investigation is on-going", Donadze said, but denied the allegations as 'groundless'. The Minister Vano Merabishvili meanwhile made his first public statement about the case on February 25 and hinted that he was not yet going to sack any of these officials.

On the 28th, MP for the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri convened a press conference and showed an interview with Girgvliani's friend Bukhaidze – an eyewitness. The interview was conducted by MP Dzidziguri himself and, during the footage, Dzidziguri shows Bukhaidze a picture of a young man and asks Bukhaidze to identify this man. Bukhaidze replies that the man in the picture 'looks very much like' one of the four people who beat the two friends after they were abducted. The man in the picture was an Interior Ministry staff-member, Oleg Melnikov. Bukhaidze said he was "not 100% sure, but I can say that he looks very much like " Dzidziguri stressed that "The most important thing with this fact is that the investigators have not shown this picture to Levan Bukhaidze – which further increases doubts about the investigation process".

During parliamentary hearings on February 28, Merabishvili said that the investigation has not yet revealed any facts which could cause the dismissal of those officials who were mentioned in the Imedi report. He also said that allegations to link officials to the case are "attempts to discredit the police.... There are attempts to link this to my family members as well. This is done deliberately to get on my nerves."

Whilst the Minister was in the midst of a speech at the hearing, opposition parliamentarians from the Rightist Opposition, Republican, Conservative and Democratic Front factions walked out of the chamber to protest against Merabishvili, and the possibly partisan investigation.

Parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party, however thanked the Merabishvili for the performance of his department, with MP Givi Targamadze saying that "The opposition’s walk-out was just a stage show. They are speculating over the Girgvliani murder case and they are trying to use it for their own political interests, which is absolutely inadmissible".

After the hearings, the opposition parliamentarians called for Merabishvili’s resignation. Davit Gamkrelidze claimed that "It has become clear today that Merabishvili is trying to cover-up criminals sitting in the Interior Ministry. We, the opposition, society, should launch activities directed towards dismissal of Merabishvili,"