5 Belarus News and Analysis | Influential Georgian MP dubiously accused of murder conspiracy by Russian newsman

BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/04/2006

Influential Georgian MP dubiously accused of murder conspiracy by Russian newsman

Recorded telephone conversations allegedly show Givi Targamadze trying to put a contract out on the life of Belarus opposition leader

By Christina Tashkevich

In a sensational presentation, Mikhail Leontyev, a host for Russia's 1st TV channel, has publicly accused Georgian MP Givi Targamadze of planning the murder of the Belarusian opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich.

On his TV program Odnako, Leontyev aired a recording on Monday of a number of alleged telephone conversations which took place between Targamadze, the chairman of Georgia's Parliamentary Defense and Security Committee, and a variety of people including a Lithuanian in Vilnius and a certain "Irina" in Washington.

In one of the conversations, a Lithuanian identified as Albinas tells someone alleged to be Targamadze that Milinkevich is currently in Europe on a PR campaign. Then the person who is allegedly Targamadze says he offered his brother-in-law USD 10-20,000 to kill Milinkevich.

Talking with Irina from Washington, the alleged Targamadze says that Milinkevich went back home and asked his supporters to disband after he lost the recent presidential elections in Belarus to Aleksandr Lukashenko. "There were three days left to settle everything, but Milinkevich came out and said 'break up.' Why this happened, I don't understand," the person with Targamadze's voice said.

Leontyev said he received the recordings from unnamed sources close to the Georgian intelligence service. "We have no grounds for doubting their authenticity," the journalist said.

At the end of the program Leontyev stated that the Georgian authorities are behind the so-called "color revolutions" which have been backed up by official Washington.

Targamadze himself briefly commented on the TV program calling it "unserious" and went on to say that it is not necessary to make any further comment on the issue.

"I am sure that no relatively intelligent person seriously watches Leontyev's news program, including myself. It's possible that next he will blame me for the murder of John F. Kennedy or announce that I am trying to dig a tunnel from London to Bombay," he said Tuesday.

Other MPs also expressed their doubts that it was actually Targamadze talking on the tape. Giorgi Tsagareishvili from the New Rights opposition bloc called Leontyev "A totally sick person, who suffers from this fixed idea that Georgians are murderers and sadists."

Later on Tuesday Leontyev called on Targamadze and Georgian officials to clarify the situation themselves saying he simply found the tapes, which are now to be considered official evidence which could lead to criminal charges being filed against Targamadze.

"Let him say then that he was joking, that he joked about the money he offered to his brother-in-law, or that he does not have a brother-in-law in Turin. Let him clarify it himself, or let him bring documentation from a hospital stating that he is mentally ill," the Russian journalist challenged.

Source:

http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1094_april_19_2006/n_1094_3.htm

Google