Nobody really knows why Nugzar Sajaia committed suicide. Frantic attempts of the officials and politicians to come up with legible theories prove futile and do not move beyond usual allegations and conspiracy theories. But the fact remains – one of the most influential and least visible politicians in Georgia departed from this world under extremely dubious conditions.
According to the official reports Secretary of the National Security Council Nugzar Sajaia committed suicide on February 25 approximately by noon, in his own cabinet at the State Chancellery. He was found shot in his head with one bullet.
Georgian authorities talk of a well-planned defamation campaign that led Sajaia to the suicide. On February 19 MP Boris Kakubava accused Nugzar Sajaia of masterminding assassination of Aslan Abashidze, Head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic. On February 25 Tbilisi-based newspaper published an interview of the former Georgian Defense Minister Tengiz Kitovani who called Nugzar Sajaia the “dirtiest politician in Shevardnadze’s government.”
Initially the officials unanimously endorsed the view that a suicide was a result of a mental anguish caused by the defamation. “According to preliminary information, the cause of the suicide was an article in today’s newspaper that Nugzar Sajaia read,” State Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania stated in the interview to the State TV channel on February 25.
“It was a suicide as a result of the moral terror [against Sajaia],” confirmed President Shevardnadze.
However later, the State Security Minister says there is a direct link between certain forces in Russia aiming at destabilization of situation in Georgia and the death of Nugzar Sajaia.
This claim adds a political intonation to yesterday’s post-shock statements. Accusations at “certain forces in Russia not interested in stability” is a usual one for the Georgian top officials when something unpleasant happens. Crying ‘foul’ so many times seriously undermines confidence of the most analysts in validity of such statements.
In any case, State Security Ministry seems inclined to see the link between Boris Kakubava and Tengiz Kitovani on one side and the former Georgian State Security Minister Igor Giorgadze on the other. Giorgadze is wanted for masterminding 1995 terrorist act against President Shevardnadze, is thought to be finding refuge in Russia and hence serves as a convenient personification of evil.
Although the suicide version remains dominant, Georgian State Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania seems to have meant that Giorgadze was behind the carefully planned defamation campaign and, perhaps some more covert means of pressure that resulted in a fatal decision from Nugzar Sajaia.
Certainly, Security Minister views an incident as a directed against Georgian President. “Shevardnadze’s government does not suit those [evil] forces and they intend to get hold of the key posts. Nugzar Sajaia, who had major influence was the right man to target,” Khaburdzania stated.
Elene Tevdoradze, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, shares Security Minister’s opinion and states that defamation campaign against Sajaia was masterminded in Russia. She intended to meet Nugzar Sajaia on February 25 to discuss the issue.
Although all politicians consider it their duty to comment on Sajaia’s death and the possible role of Russia, more present concerns have to be on minds of at least some top officials.
Sajaia was one of the key persons in Shevardnadze’s government. His public profile remained negligibly low, hence the speculations about his exceptional influence on Shevardnadze and on decision-making. It is quite difficult to see whether or not the mantle of the eminence gris did quite fit Sajaia, but he definitely had some very high-ranking protégés including the ministers of State Security, Internal Affairs, Head of the Control of Chamber [the main official watchdog] Sulkhan Molashvili and some others.
Many believe these officials may have lost a strong and powerful lobbyist and would need to bid for favor of President Shevardnadze. Coming months would show whether or not Sajaia’s cadre would manage to stay in power position.
In the meantime, Georgian Prosecutor-General investigates an incident under the article 115 of the Georgian criminal code, “bringing person to the point of suicide.”
While the politics and politicians would reshuffle, death of Nugzar Sajaia is likely to remain a mystery for long.
By Jaba Devdariani, Civil Georgia
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