President Saakashvili downplayed on March 16 the opposition”s calls for Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili”s resignation as “very funny” and said that he will strongly support Merabishvili on his way of fighting crime.
Opposition parties, as well as some human rights groups plan to hold a protest rally outside the President”s Administration on March 17 to demand Merabishvili dismissal over Sandro Girgvliani murder case. Opposition blames Merabishvili of covering up several Interior Ministry officials and ex-officials who are allegedly lined to this murder case.
President Saakashvili said at a late night news conference on March 16 that murder of Girgvliani and “any case of this kind is my personal tragedy.”
“Of course when Interior Ministry”s officials are engaged [in crime] it makes the crime twice grave. But we also should mention, that case of this kind might occur in England, France, very often [these kinds of cases] takes place in America. And Georgia has responded to this case, like it is responded in these countries… Everybody who deserved to be arrested are already arrested and if there is someone else [guilty of this crime] they will be held responsible as well and everything will be investigated,” Saakashvili said.
“There are no untouchables. Everyone, who is guilty, will be punished,” he added.
Saakashvili then spoke much about the success of the Interior Ministry in fighting against crime and added that Merabishvili has a key role in ongoing reforms in the law enforcement agencies.
“Georgia has never before had such effective police… Could you ever imagined that the patrol [policy] would have such a high reputation?.. Do you think that all these have appeared just from the sky? All these have been done by Merabishvili… by all of us. So we will back police up to the end, up to the end,” the President said.
“[Calls for] the Interior Minister”s dismissal is very funny… Maybe we will bring here in this office Jondi Bagaturia [of the opposition Labor Party], or maybe Shaliko [Shalva] Natelashvili [Labor Party leader], or [Igor] Giorgadze [wanted ex-security chief of Georgia] will be better?” Saakashvili said ironically.
He also reiterated earlier position of the influential parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party, who alleged that opponents targeted the Interior Minister because of their attempts to thwart the police efforts to fight against organized crime.
“The same people and same number of people are repeating this demand [on the Interior Minister”s resignation] time after time under the different pretexts… I know one think very well; I know real reason [of these calls for Merabishvili”s resignation] very well: we have touched very well-organized oligarchic, including the Russian oligarchic capital, as well as very serious local mafia interests. Georgia was a country of “thieves in law” [criminal bosses]. Georgia was ruled by several “thieves in law.” Those people who are now shouting loudly are the people who do not like that confiscation of property of “thieves in law” has been launched,” Saakashvili said.
He also reiterated plans that the government plans to propose “a law according to which there will be a zero tolerance towards a petty crime.”
“Merabishvili is really very good [Minister] and I am going to support him to finish this fight [against organized crime] up to the end,” Saakashvili said.
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