Family of Sandro Girgvliani Wants Killer to be Punished

 Family of Sandro Girgvliani Wants Killer to be Punished

The Coalition of NGOs challenges every citizen, who values human life, wherever they may be, to sound their car horns on Thursday at 18:00; to show a “Sign of Life” against the forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The employee of the ‘United Georgian Bank’, Sandro Girgvliani’s murder is still under a dark cloud. The victim’s family blames high officials from the Ministry of Interior and wants them to be punished. After the family made these demands, those officials were finally fired, but the family and the victim's mother are still not satisfied.

Data Akhalaia, the Director of the Constitutional Rights Security Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), his deputy, Oleg Melnikov, Vasil Sanodze, the Head of General Inspection, and Guram Donadze, the Head of the MIA press centre, are all names that have been mentioned frequently as of late. Suspicions were aroused after witnesses to the crime were questioned. The incident started at the ‘Sharden Bar’, where the victim, Girgvliani, came to see his girlfriend and saw her in the company of unknown people (those officials mentioned above).

The victims girlfriend, Tatia, explained that Sandro was not happy to discover whose company she was in, he used strong language and left the bar. The day after the incident in the bar, Girgvliani was found murdered in the Oqrokhana cemetery. Another witness, Levan Bukhaidze, states that after he left the bar with Sandro, two people followed them, driving ML type Mercedes car. They were taken to the cemetery where they were cruelly beaten. Bukhaidze managed to escape and made it to a nearby petrol station.

Later, when the case came under investigation by the MIA, Bukhaidze was shown photos of suspects and picked out Melnikov as one of the men who beat them.

Tatia also told how, “After Sandro left, Melnikov left the bar too, saying he wanted to buy some cigarettes. He came back 40 minutes later. He said he couldn’t buy any cigarettes near the bar so he went to the supermarket "Big Ben" - he was a bit cold.”

"The Big Ben" camera was checked, which tapes everybody entering the supermarket. The film showed that Melnikov had not been there.

The family, NGOs and the general public are incensed by these facts. They demand that the officials involved be fired and sentenced. 

“Sandro Girgvliani’s is not the only case where the real murderers or those who committed a crime are not punished. There have been a few cases over the last two years, when someone responsible for law enforcement helps the guilty to make the case disappear. This kind of injustice casts a dark shadow over all cases and crimes. Those people responsibe should be fired and the cases should be opened so they can be punished for their crimes. MIA should be cleaned up. I think that great mobilization of the people is not necessary”, said Ana Dolidze, the Head of the Young Lawyers Association.

After much public outcry and active protest, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vano Merabishvili, announced that the case has already been closed and they have arrested some of the officials: the Head of the Constitutional Security Department, Gia Alania and officers of that department: Avtandil Aftciauri, Aleqsandre Ghachava and Mikhail Bibiluri. The mother of Sandro Girgvliani is still not satisfied with these arrests, saying that they simply carried out orders, she wants those who gave the orders to be punished. Those who were sitting round the table during that evening at the bar must be punished. This case must be properly completed”
      
In January, Sandro Girgvilni’s family, opposition party members and people of culture and public importance, met at the Cinema House building. They made a resolution that whoever ordered the murder must be punished. 

The officials left their jobs gradually, one by one. One of the first to go was Guram Donadze. MIA announced that the official reason for his departure was a strained relationship with a journalist which had no connection with the murder.

After a while Data Akhalaia, the Director of the Constitutional Rights Security Department at MIA, his deputy – Oleg Melnikovi, the Head of the General Inspection – Vasil Sanodze all resigned untill the investigation has been finished. But the victim’s family is still not satisfied. 

Eka Gulua