Tbilisi, Georgia, Oct. 20
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
The court of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, found the country's former interior minister, Vano Merabishvili guilty in a case on the death of Sandro Girgvliani, an employee of the United Georgian Bank.
The 28-year-old Girgvliani was found dead in 2006 on a cemetery in Okrokana in Tbilisi's suburb, following an argument he had in a bar in Tbilisi.
The judge sentenced Vano Merabishvili to 3 years in prison for abuse of office and forgery.
He was also banned from holding public offices for two years.
The defendants in the mentioned case are the ex-interior minister Vano Merabishvili and the police officer Geronti Alania.
A procedural agreement was concluded with another defendant Oleg Melnikov, who actively cooperated with the investigation.
One more defendant, the former senior official of the Georgian Interior Ministry, Data Akhalia is currently in Greece, and the issue of his extradition is being addressed. The case against him is being carried out separately.
Vano Merabishvili is already in prison serving a 7-year sentence for abuse of power and bribery of voters.
It should be noted that a new prison term will not be added onto the longer period of punishment.