Posted on 07/23/2005 11:17:51 AM PDT by MarMema
The man believed to have thrown a hand grenade in Freedom Square while U.S. President George Bush was delivering a speech on May 10 was arrested late July 20 in a Ministry of Internal Affairs special operation in which the suspect was shot and a ministry official killed.
Speaking at a late night briefing, Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili said that the suspect, 27-year-old Vladimer Arutunov, opened fire on three policemen sent to locate him and that as a result the Head of the Anti-terrorism Center Zurab Kvlividze was killed and Arutunov injured.
Arutunov, alternatively identified as Vova Arutinian, tried to escape police by heading for a small forest in his Vashlijvari neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital but was caught and taken to Tbilisi Republican Hospital where he underwent surgery on his leg.
Speaking on Thursday, Deputy Minister of Healthcare Irakli Giorgobiani told journalists that the suspect's health was satisfactory and that he would be moved to the prison hospital, where he would be questioned. He added that Arutunov had partially confessed to doctors of throwing the grenade.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs recorded a brief interview with the suspect in his hospital on Thursday.
The spokesperson, Guram Donadze, was seen asking Arutunov if he had thrown the grenade and the suspect replied, "Yes."
When asked "Why?", the suspect is heard to say "Because Bush…" before launching into a tirade of cussing that was bleeped out on television.
On Thursday, Police searched Arutunov's flat and cellar that he shared with his mother. Video footage of the search released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs press service showed the police finding grenades, home-made detonators, a military night vision device, a Russian army uniform, a military textbook used in Soviet schools, maps of Tbilisi, swords and an oxygen mask.
Arutunov's mother Anzhela Arutunov told journalists that she had not seen her son for the last three days although neighbors said they had seen the suspect with his mother two days ago.
Merabishvili stated that an investigation was already underway and that "the details, links and motives of this person are also being looked into," although he stressed that he was only a suspect, and that "rumors in the press" regarding the investigation should be disregarded.
The minister added that a wide-ranging investigation conducted by the ministry in conjunction with the Anti-terrorist Center and American colleagues had pinpointed Arutunov as the likely suspect.
Kvlividze a "hero," says minister
Merabishvili lamented that the operation had ended fatally and expressed condolences on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the family of Zurab Kvlividze.
Speaking at a second briefing on Thursday, Merabishvili said that Kvlividze had only recently been appointed Head of the Anti-terrorism Center.
"Kvlividze had a wife and a seven-months boy," he added. "I want to say that Georgia has always had heroes and unfortunately such people like Arutunov sacrifice people like Kvlividze. Kvlividze's son will be proud when he grows up that he had such a good father."
GEL 150,000 reward to be divided
The minister unveiled pictures on Monday of the then-unidentified suspect as well as a GEL 150,000 (USD 83,000) reward for information leading to the identification and detention of the suspect. On Wednesday he stated, "the Ministry of Internal Affairs got information recently about this person."
On Thursday the minister revealed that several people had assisted the ministry in identifying and locating the suspect and that the GEL 150,000 would be divided between them.
"A special commission will find out during the next ten days the role played by each informant and according to their roles, this sum of money will be divided among these people. The money will be given to those Georgian citizens within the next ten days," he said, stressing that employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not receive the money.
Merabishvili asked society and the media to provide the ministry with any further information regarding Arutunov so that the investigation can be closed as soon as possible.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs received responses from many international countries. We will discuss this incident with the leadership of the FBI as well as diplomats," he stated.
U.S. government welcomes arrest
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement on July 21 welcoming the news that "the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, through joint efforts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, diligent detective work, and a strong commitment to solving this case, have taken into custody a suspect in the matter of the hand grenade."
"The U.S. Government appreciates the hard work of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the bravery and dedication of Georgian law enforcement that has brought this man into custody. The level of information exchange, liaison, and expertise displayed were truly a model for international law enforcement cooperation," the statement reads.
The U.S. statement added, however, that "news that a brave and courageous MOIA Officer lost his life in the process of making this arrest" cast "a shadow over this victory."
"Officer Zurab Kvlividze died in the line of duty during this adversarial action and that U.S. Embassy honors his memory and sacrifice. We express our heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends," the embassy states.
Television stations reported that the Director of the FBI Robert Mueller phoned Minister Merabishvili to thank and congratulate him on the arrest.
"MEMORY ETERNAL, ZURAB."
Ditto.
God bless his wife and child.
What was this guy's DU name? I'm serious - he seems to have the same hysterical hatred and anger, hate piled on hate for no reason as DUers do.
God be praised for His continued protection of your President.
God bless Zurab Kvlividze and his family.
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