High-Profile Murder Case Tried in Court of Appeals

The high-profile scandal involving the murder of Sandro Girgvliani has again topped the media?s agenda after the Tbilisi Court of Appeals launched hearings into the case on December 8.

In July 2006 the Tbilisi City Court found Gia Alania, ex-chief of the first unit of the Interior Ministry?s Department for Constitutional Security (DCS), guilty of inflicting injuries that resulted in Sandro Girgvliani?s death and sentenced him to an eight-year prison term. Three other officers from the same department were jailed for seven years each.

The case went into the Court of Appeals as the former police officers? lawyers are now demanding the defendants be released, while prosecutors want the ex-officers to spend one year longer in jail than ruled by the City Court.

As a separate side into the case, Girgvliani?s family is pushing for its own agenda.

Lawyer of the victim?s family Shalva Shavgulidze claims that Girgvliani?s ?punishment? was commissioned by top-level Interior Ministry officials who were angered after they overheard Girgvliani verbally insulting them in a downtown Tbilisi caf? in February 2006. Prosecutors claim that Girgvliani?s death was a result of a spontaneous quarrel which took place outside the caf? between the victim and ex-officers.

Data Akhalaia, ex-chief of the DCS, Vasil Sanodze, ex-chief of the general inspection of the Interior Ministry (both were suspended from office as a result of public pressure in March), as well as Guram Donadze, who has resigned from the Interior Ministry spokesman?s position in March, and the Interior Minister?s wife Tako Salakaia are believed to be key figures in the murder case, according to the Girgvliani family’s lawyer.

?I demanded at the court hearing that all the evidence that could confirm these persons’ involvement be studied; but the judge has turned down all of my proposals, which makes me assume that, like the City Court, the Court of Appeals is also doing everything to cover up publicizing the evidence that can prove a linkage between ex-Interior Ministry officials and the murder case,? lawyer Shavgulidze told reporters.

The Court of Appeals is expected to announce its ruling on December 11.

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