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Criminal proceedings started over murder in west Moscow

The killed man was being indentified

MOSCOW, May 21 (Itar-Tass) —— The Investigation Committee of Russia has instituted criminal proceedings on the fact of the murder of a man in west Moscow. According to preliminary information, it was Roman Dumbadze, the former commander of the Batumi brigade of the Georgian Defense Ministry.

“Investigative bodies of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation for Moscow instituted a criminal case under article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Murder),” sources in the Investigation Committee’s press service reported. “According to preliminary information, at about 14:30 Moscow time, two unidentified men drove up to a man walking along Rublevsky highway and shot him dead.” “The killed man was being indentified,” sources said.

Sources in law enforcement bodies had earlier told ltar-Tass that “according to preliminary information, it was Roman Dumbadze, the former commander of the Batumi brigade of the Georgian defense ministry, who was killed.” He was inside a car parked near house No 30 on Rublevsky highway.

Major-General Roman Dumbadze was serving in Georgia a term for high treason after refusing to obey the Tbilisi authorities. In April 2004 he was head of a brigade of the Georgian Defense Ministry deployed in Batumi and was removed from the post. Then he threatened to become subordinated to the Adjarian head. A scandal flared up over his statement that he is subordinated to Adjarian head Aslan Abashidze rather than the Georgian central authorities. In May 2004 it was reported that he was detained by officers of the Georgian State Security Ministry.

In May 2006 the Batumi city court sentenced Dumbadze, 42, to 17 years of the deprivation of freedom on charges of high treason, abuse of position, disobeying the country’s lawful authorities, seizing the command of a military unit and embezzling state property. The court decreed that he should also pay 200,000 Lari (110,000 dollars).

In August 2008 Dumbadze was exchanged for Georgian servicemen during the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

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