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Suspected assailant of Abkhaz president admit two earlier assassination attempts

t said the attempts failed for reasons beyond the suspects’ control but those reasons would not be made public so far in the interest of the investigation
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

SUKHUMI, April 24 (Itar-Tass) —— The arrested suspected assailants of Abkhaz President Alexander Ankvab have confessed they tried to kill the president twice, the Abkhaz Prosecutor General’s Office told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

It said the attempts failed for reasons beyond the suspects’ control but those reasons would not be made public so far in the interest of the investigation.

In all, Anzor Butba, Ramzi Khashig and Alkhas Khutaba are now in custody. Another suspect, Timur Khutaba arrested on April 14, hanged himself in the detention ward early on April 18 morning.

Ex-Interior Minister Almasbei Kchach shot himself dead in his home before the police came to get him on April 17.

The search for other accomplices to the crime continues.

The president was attacked in the Gudauta district on February 22. He was not hurt but two bodyguards – Tengiz Pandaria and Remzik Tsugba – died.

The Abkhaz Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case on the charges of an attack on a statesman, an attempted murder of two or more people and an illegal weapon.