Georgian TV channel shows video compromising high-ranking police official
TBILISI. Sept 28 (Interfax) - The Georgian TV company Maestro has shown a video uploaded to YouTube by anonymous authors, which alleges that a high-ranking Georgian Interior Ministry official ordered the killing of Georgian criminal boss Vato Kipiani in Moscow.
The authors of the video, which is provided with comments, claim that Taimuraz Pataridze, the head of the Georgian Interior Ministry's constitutional security department in the province of Ajaria, contacted Chechen hit men through his brother Otar Pataridze and ordered them Kipiani's killing, promising to pay $100,000.
The authors of the video, which contains footage made at different times, claim that the Chechens did not kill Kipiani but took Otar Pataridze hostage and released him only after they were paid $100,000.
The video shows Otar Pataridze negotiating with unidentified men in Moscow. The negotiators discuss details of the killing, some telephone numbers are shown, and voice resembling Taimuraz Pataridze's is heard. The video also shows Otar Pataridze while he is held hostage, confessing that the killing was ordered by the Georgian leadership.
The video also shows the passage of money.
Maestro also reported on Friday that it had information that a video possibly shedding some light on circumstances of former Primer Minister Zurab Zhvania's death in 2005 would soon appear on the Internet.
It said it was unaware when exactly the video would be shown.
Maestro said it had received this information from a trustworthy source outside the country, who is not a politician.
