Singer Iosif Kobzon cries in front of the body of Otari Kvantrishvili during the burial service at Vagankovo cemetery.
Photo: Eddie Opp
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Kvantrishvili Killed by Soldier
One of the most full-mouthed crimes, the murder of authoritative businessman Otari Kvantrishvili, has been finally exposed, Moscow prosecutors announced yesterday. Kvantrishvili was shot dead by order of Orekhovo Criminal Group’s founder, Sergey Timofeev (Silvester), and the former soldier of internal forces, Alexey Kuzmin (Lesha the Soldier), was the killer. Kuzmin and his two help-mates (a former serviceman of intelligence and a former policeman) are accused of 12 murders and attempted murders, including attempted murder of Russkoe Zoloto (Russian Gold) CEO Alexander Tarantsev.
Otari Kvantrishvili, the killed vice president of 21st Century Association and chairman of Foundation for Athletes Social Protection, was shot dead from a sniper rifle far back in April 5, 1994, on the threshold of Krasnopresnenskie bath-house, which he had attended from time to time.
Investigators needed 12 years to solve this crime. The case gained momentum once Alexey Kuzmin was detained in February. Kuzmin had led the most secret gang of killers of Orekhovo-Medvedkovo Criminal Group for more than ten years.
Kuzmin joined the Orekhovo gang in early 1990s, after meeting one of its leaders, KGB Senior Lieutenant Grigory Gusyatinsky (Grisha Severny). It was Gusyatinksy who ordered Kuzmin to kill Kvantrishvili. Gusyatinsky got the order from Orekhovo’s Godfather Sergey Timofeev (Silvester). The motive was probably a business conflict of Timofeev and Kvantrishvili, investigators speculate, but no one knows for sure. Kuzmin killed Gusyatinsky January 1995, and Silvester blew up in his Mercedes September 13, 1995.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 14, 2006
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