Parliamentary Hearings on High-Profile Murder Case Delayed

Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili requested on February 27 that opposition parliamentarians delay his hearings over the investigation into the Sandro Girgvliani murder case until February 28.

Merabishvili was expected to appear in the Parliament on February 27 after the two opposition parliamentary factions the New Rights and Democratic Front requested that he brief them about this murder case, in which several top Interior Ministry officials may allegedly be linked to.

“The Interior Minister and the General Procurator [Zurab Adeishvili] will come to the Parliament and deliver information at a plenary session on February 28 at 4 p.m.,” MP Davit Zurabishvili, the chairman of Democratic Front faction, told Civil Georgia.

But chief of the analytical department of the Interior Ministry Shota Utiashvili appeared at a joint session of the two opposition parliamentary factions on Monday. He said that so far there is no reason for dismissing those Interior Ministry officials who are allegedly linked to the murder case. 

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said on February 27 that a prompt investigation of this murder case in the authorities interests.

“There should be no unanswered questions regarding this case. I have talked with Vano Merabishvili and he is ready to appear in the Parliament,” Burjanadze said while speaking at the Parliamentary Bureau session.