Briefing of the Director of Tbilisi Police Department - Vazha Siradze
We would like to provide the public with information about the ongoing investigation into the premeditated murder of L.J. on Chavchavadze Avenue in Tbilisi on March 14 of the current year.
As a result of the investigative, procedural and operational measures carried out in the aforementioned criminal case, the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, arrested 3 more persons - G.M., G.K, and M.B., on charges of organising premeditated order by hire with purpose of financial gain, illegally purchasing, storing and selling firearms in a group, concealing a particularly grave crime, and providing false information with the aim of obstructing justice.
The investigation established that the brothers D.M. and G.M. were opposed by L.J. on business matters as well as on various subjects and had personal rivalry towards him which led them to organise murder by hire of L.J.. The persons involved in the conflict contacted G.J. and asked for assistance in finding the person to complete the crime.
With the participation of the persons involved in the crime, a personal security guard of G.J. was selected to complete the planned murder in exchange for financial gain. It has also been established that G.J. and G.K. unlawfully purchased firearms as a group, one of which was finally transferred to G.U. through G.M. and D.M. to commit the murder.
On March 14 of the current year, on Chavchavadze Avenue, G.U. shot and killed L.J. and injured the person accompanying him.
A number of procedural and investigative actions were conducted in the case, dozens of witnesses were interviewed, including M.B., who provided false information to the investigation and covered up the crime.
Dozens of hours of surveillance camera recordings have been recovered and studied, examinations have been ordered, information has been obtained and processed from mobile phones and their service towers, and a number of physical evidences have been recovered.
As already noted, law enforcement officers arrested the accused G.U. shortly after the murder. The person under whose name the firearm was registered in the past to commit a murder has also been arrested.
The investigation of the current criminal case continues under Articles 25/109, 236, 375 and 370 of the Criminal Code.
The investigation continues intensively, in order to bring the unidentified persons (in case of such) to justice at this stage.
