Police Deny Murder was Linked to Elections

The Georgian Interior Ministry has denied that murder of a man in western provincial district of Tsalenjikha was linked with ongoing parliamentary elections.

“I have to confirm the fact of murder,” Eka Zguladze, the deputy interior minister, said. “The investigation has found out that Geronti Katsia was killed with a firearm and his daughter Monika Katsia was slightly wounded in the leg. Yuri Rogava is suspected of the murder. He has been wanted since 2003 for an attempted rape and illegal possession of arms. Unfortunately his whereabouts is unknown for now. The murder was committed as a result of a personal dispute between the two men, which started two days ago and this dispute today resulted into murder.”

Zurab Kachkachishvili, a spokesman of the Central Election Commission, has also strongly denied that the murder was “related with the elections.” He said that murder was committed “two-three kilometers away from the polling station and it had nothing to do with the elections.” He also claimed that the man, who was killed, was not an opposition activist.

Earlier on Wednesday Davit Gamkrelidze, head of the nine-party opposition bloc’s campaign, said that an opposition activist, Geronti Katsia, “was killed at a polling station number 10 in Tsalenjikha with hunting rifle.” He has claimed that the murder was committed because the man was opposition activist.