Release of a British banker Peter Shaw turned to be a wildcard on Georgia’s hand and it did use it to avoid a catastrophe.
Late in the evening of November 6 Georgian law enforcers announced to the country that a British Citizen Peter Shaw was released after 141 days in hostage. However, identity of abductors, who kept Shaw in Pankisi gorge for months, is still unknown.
Peter Shaw, co-director of the Agro-Business Bank of Georgia, was abducted in front of his apartment by 7 persons in police uniforms on June 18. First version that Georgian law enforcers named immediately, was that Shaw could have been brought to Pankisi gorge, which was not under control of the central government that time.
International community’s reaction on Shaw’s abduction was sharp. The EU warned Georgia of the possibility of suspending the financial aid. Disbursement of the crucial USD 44 million grant, vital for keeping intact the crumbling budget was endangered.
Besides economic drawbacks, Shaw’s abduction badly damaged Georgia’s international prestige. British media called Georgia a bandits’ country. Against this background, Russia’s allegations that Pankisi has become a shelter for international terrorists seemed more and more legitimate.
One of the main goals of an anti-criminal operation, which has started in Pankisi on August 25 partly because of increasing international pressure, was rescue of abducted persons, including Peter Shaw. But despite relatively successful operation, Shaw was kept hostage until yesterday.
Release of the British banker was as unexpected as his disappearance several months ago. On November 6 evening, Georgian law enforcers announced through the national media that Shaw was freed and brought to Tbilisi. However, the details of the rescue operation were not disclosed.
It is known that one abductor, former policeman Megudishvili was killed in gunfire. Other criminals have escaped. As Peter Shaw told the public, four criminals took him out of a ground hole, where he was kept, and brought to unknown place. Suddenly someone opened fire. Shaw hid in the bushes. Few minutes later he was found by the law enforcers and brought to Tbilisi.
The opposition responded with strong criticism to law enforcers’ euphoria and elusive explanations of the operation, calling it a ‘staged show’. Irakli Batiashvili, chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Parliament believes that Shaw has either paid a ransom or just escaped and now law enforcers want to “sell” it as their success.
Peter Shaw said upon his arrival to Britain on November 7 that the kidnappers wanted USD 1 million for his release. “We don’t have USD 1 million. I couldn’t see much chance of the money appearing,” Shaw said.
Some speculations even claim that the law enforcers were involved in the abduction from the very beginning and released the British banker when it has become inevitable. Similar claims were made when an Arab businessman disappeared and then found by the law enforcers in mysterious circumstances few months later. The criminals have escaped the justice on that occasion as well.
The wife of the former policeman that was killed in gunfire told the Rustavi 2 TV channel that Security Ministry official tried to convince his husband in vain to keep abducted Shaw in his home. Megudishvili’s wife tells that on November 6 Security official called his husband and appointed the meeting. On the same day Megudishvili was killed, according to the official reports as a result of the shootout during the special operation to free Shaw.
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Despite all these contradicting versions, it is clear that Shaw’s release was a narrow escape for Shevardnadze and his government.
Last week the Parliament was aggressively demanding resignation of all ‘economic block’ ministers due to the failure to fulfill the budget revenues in 2002. President’s protege, the State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze, was in the focus of the Parliament’s criticism, for he undertook personal responsibility for fulfilling the state budget earlier in 2002.
The opposition MPs and independent experts believe that the budget deficit is already 80 million Georgian Laris, or roughly 40 million Euros – the sum which the Georgian government is supposed to receive from the EU. This fiscal injection would give additional cards to Jorbenadze and the ‘economic bloc’ ministers.
Shaw’s release has also reinforced position of the ‘power’ ministers. These ministers, constantly accused for corruption and inactivity, were given an opportunity to show success of the operation in Pankisi gorge.
With Shaw’s release on November 6, Georgia took the chance to demonstrate to Russia and the whole international community that its commitment to anti-criminal and anti-terrorist operations is real. Accordingly, there is no ground for accusing Georgian authorities and, furthermore, considering it as a pawn that might be sacrificed in a game.
But as questions overshadow Peter Shaw’s scandalous release, the typical traits of Shevardnadze-style crisis management start to show: the government always plays a wildcard in most critical moment, and wins a timeout, but not a decisive victory.
