Spokesman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) Guram Donadze was dismissed by Minister Vano Merabishvili on March 7. Zurab Gvenetadze, an employ of the Ministry’s press office, is acting spokesman.
 
Donadze, together with several other top officials from the Interior Ministry, was allegedly linked to the murder case of Sandro Girgvliani. But the official reason behind Donadze’s dismissal is “conflicting relations” with a number of journalists. Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who met with Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze on March 7, has not yet made any comment.

Guram Donadze was appointed as the Interior Ministry’s spokesman in 2004. Previously he worked for the Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television as a reporter.