The killing, and the events that followed, generated heavy criticism of the former government, particularly the interior minister, and debate about the extent to which then President Mikheil Saakashvili had truly introduced judicial independence and a democratic culture into Georgian society.
[1] According to an Imedi Television investigation on February 12, the murder of the 28-year-old head of the United Georgian Bank's Foreign Department, can be traced to a series of events which developed in Tbilisi's elite Sharden Bar.
[2] It is alleged that the Inspector General of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vasil Sanodze was holding his birthday party to which the highest members of the department were invited.
[5] Whilst Bukhaidze has denied this comment was made, it is clear that Sandro Girgvliani and his friend left the scene, and were reportedly stuffed into a silver Mercedes-Benz ML Class vehicle by unknown men shortly afterwards.
On the 28th, MP for the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri convened a press conference and showed an interview with Girgvliani's friend Bukhaidze – an eyewitness.
Parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party, however thanked Merabishvili for the performance of his department, with MP Givi Targamadze saying that "The opposition’s walk-out was just a stage show.
We, the opposition, society, should launch activities directed towards ensuring the dismissal of Merabishvili," On March 5, events began to gather pace as Imedi television broadcast another report questioning the official version of the death of a former anti-drug policeman, Gia Telia.
The Ministry's press office distributed a video of the operation to the national television networks showing the body of Telia lying on the floor of his apartment holding a pistol in his right hand.
On March 6 Vano Merabishvili announced that four officers - Gia Alania, Avtandil Aptsiauri, Aleksandre Gachava and Mikheil Bibiluri - from the Interior Ministry had been arrested on suspicion of killing Sandro Girgvliani.
Levan Bukhaidze, a key witness and the friend of Sandro Girgvliani, on March 9 revealed that he had failed on the same day to identify Oleg Melnikov, amongst four people during a police lineup.
He allegedly returned only after around 40 minutes, with Maisuradze going on to say that this was explained by the fact that he had travelled to a distant supermarket after being unable to buy the cigarettes he wanted at a nearby shop.
In a statement issued on March 13 the Georgian Ombudsman Sozar Subari said that investigation of Sandro Girgvliani murder case was "a serious test for the government".
On March 16, the most significant protests towards the authorities began with thousands of motorists beeping their horns in Tbilisi and other cities signaling increasing anger against the Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.
Several hundred protesters gathered outside the President's Office on March 17 to demand Merabishvili's resignation and an unbiased investigation of a high-profile murder scandal.
On May 23 a small group of activists from the Equality Institute non-governmental organization went on hunger strike and staged a protest rally central Rustaveli Avenue outside the Parliament.
Inside the courtroom some opposition politicians, including MP Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of New Rights party, verbally sparred with judge Giorgi Chemia accusing him of bias.
After the incident the chairman of the Supreme Court Kote Kublashvili announced that Gamkrelidze would no longer be able to attend the trial because he was stirring too much noise and disorders at the hearings.
"Today I can say for sure before the court: I recollected the fourth person in Okrokana [outskirts of Tbilisi, where Sandro Girgvliani’s body was located] and I can say for sure, that it was Oleg Melnikov" Bukhaidze added.
On July 5 prosecutors accused key suspect into the case Gia Alania, former chief of the first unit of the Interior Ministry's Department for Constitutional Security, of deliberately inflicting injuries to Girgvliani, which resulted in the latter's death and demanded nine-year imprisonment for him.
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Gia Alania, ex-chief of the first unit of the Interior Ministry's Department for Constitutional Security (DCS), to eight-years imprisonment for Sandro Girgvliani's murder.
Former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who left Georgia after his second term, is also accused of abuse of power in connection with the dispersal of a rally and the invasion of the building of the Imedi television company in November 2007.
Ambassador to Georgia, told the Associated Press that "It has been our position to make quite clear to the government that we expect no cover-ups and that those who are responsible should be brought to justice".
The judge has ended hastily-conducted trial yesterday - it took just ten days - and ignored the position and evidence put forth by the victim’s attorney," The daily Rezonansi wrote in its article "Society Against Authorities", that whilst President Saakashvili was in the United States, Georgia was on the verge of a political crisis.
[9] Irina Enukidze, the mother of Girgvliani, claimed on May 2 that unspecified representatives of the authorities had offered her money in exchange for her silence and the conclusion of her pursuit of Merabishvili's resignation.
Patrol Policeman Grigol Bashaleishvili was found guilty and sentenced to four-years imprisonment on August 10 by the Tbilisi City Court of the negligent murder of 19-year-old Amiran Robakidze on 23 November 2004.
However, relatives of the victim and some human rights groups have condemned the trial as an attempt to cover up higher-level Interior Ministry officials, who allegedly fabricated evidence.
Robakidze's relatives and some human right groups have called for the prosecution of Interior Ministry officials who provided false crime scene evidence.
On July 6 Eka Khoperia, an anchor with Rustavi 2 TV, announced during her live program that she was resigning, after Data Akhalaia refused to take part in her talk show unless he will be able to speak after opposition representatives as a final guest.
Khoperia announced during the show that she had been informed that interview with Data Akhalaia, ex-chief of the Interior Ministry's Department for Constitutional Security, will take place only on his conditions, otherwise he would not be available.
On January 5, 2018, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in absentia to three years in prison under the article abuse of official powers.