‘Alleged Suspect’ in Bush Grenade Incident Arrested

Interior Ministry issued on July 18 this photo of a person, who according to the police is suspected in tossing a hand-grenade.

A person, who is “allegedly suspected” in tossing a hand-grenade during the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Tbilisi in May, was arrested in an operation, which resulted in the death of one security official and the injury of the ‘suspect’ himself, Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili announced at 00:25 am on July 21.
 
Merabishvili said that Vladimer Arutunian, 27, opened fire after police tried to arrest him in his apartment late on July 20. “Arutunian was wounded in a shootout [with police] and was arrested shortly after [the shootout] by the special purpose unit,” Merabishvili said.

The man tried to escape in the nearby woods but was chased by the police and arrested after more than an hour.

“In recent months, the Interior Ministry, in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted out a huge amount of work. We could pinpoint an alleged photo of the suspect, I want to stress the alleged photo. As a result, in recent days we have received a number of information about alleged, I want to stress ‘alleged’, suspect,” Merabishvili said.

“Now we are trying to find out all the information: his links, motives [behind the grenade incident], everything. All this information is preliminary,” the Interior Minister said.

CNN quoted U.S. Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur as saying that the American side was not involved in the operation, but “we continue to monitor the Georgian investigation.”

The Georgian Interior Ministry unveiled photos of a young man on July 18 who, as the law enforcers announced, was wanted for allegedly throwing a hand-grenade into a crowed, about 30 meters away from the site from where U.S. President Bush was addressing thousands of Georgians on the Freedom Square in Tbilisi on May 10, 2005.

The hand grenade appeared to be a live device that failed to function, according to the statement made by FBI, which cooperated with the Georgian law enforcers to investigate the case.

“We consider this act to be a threat against the health and welfare of both the President of the United States and the President of Georgia, as well as to the multitude of Georgian people that turned out at this event,” Bryan Paarmann, legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Georgia who also leads the FBI office in Tbilisi, said at a news conference on May 18.

Initially the Georgian Interior Ministry was offering only a 20,000 (USD 11,000) Lari reward for valuable information about the grenade case. But the bounty was increased to USD 82,000 after the Interior Ministry issued photos of the suspect.

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