President Demands Prompt Investigation of Arms Dealing Case

(Tbilisi, June 19, Civil Georgia) – At the government’s meeting on June 19 President Shevardnadze demanded from the law enforcers to investigate the case of arms dealing within the week.

Georgian law enforcers detained a Toyota Land Cruiser carrying weapons including the mortarts and anti-tank missiles on June 18, near Tbilisi, Georgian capital. Simon Mchedlidze, the Major of the State Security Ministry who accompanied the weapons was detained.

“It is very important to investigate the case in the nearest days as transportation of the modern weapons matters not only Georgia’s interests,” Eduard Shevardnadze said.

President said that the weapons are so modern that they are not in the Georgian Defense Ministry’s ammunition.

President Shevardnadze ruled out that the possible recipient of the weapons could be Georgian guerrilla group acting in breakaway Abkhazia.

Leader of the Georgian guerrilla group Forest Brothers Davit Shengelia claimed ownership of the cargo on June 18.