Killing of Georgian parliamentarian Shalikiani was not politically motivated - head of Investigations Committee
MINSK. Jan 24 (Interfax) - Valentin Shayev, chairman of the Belarusian Investigations Committee, said the murder of former Georgian parliamentarian Bondo Shalikiani in Minsk was most likely connected to his business in Russia.
"The investigation continues. Several theories of the crime have been proposed. The theory that the murder is linked to this citizen's political activities in Georgia has currently not been confirmed," Shayev said in an interview with the newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiy
"The most likely motive of this crime is the man's business activities in Russia. We can say with some degree of certainty that he did not have any commercial interests in our country," Shayev said.
According to earlier reports citing the Investigations Committee, Shalikiani was shot and killed in Minsk on August 7. The attacker fired several shots at the parliamentarian, including to his head. A Russian passport issued by Bondo Pavlov was found on the man. A criminal case was opened on the basis of Article 139 of the Belarusian Criminal Code (murder).