Erosi Kitsmarishvili found dead

By Victoria Panfilova, a columnist of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza

 

 

Erosi Kitsmarishvili, former Georgian ambassador to Russia and the UN, ex-head and co-owner of Rustavi-2 TV, a candidate for the mayor of Rustavi, a city not far from Tbilisi, was found dead on Tuesday. His bodyguards found him dead in his car near his home. The Georgian Interior Ministry said that “a gun was lying next to him, it was possibly suicide.”

The death of such a young, venturesome and talented man is certainly a tragedy. Erosi Kitsmarishvili’s recent work, it could be seen, was not going very smoothly. He put his bets on ex-Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili of the Georgian Party, of which the ex-minister was the leader and political secretary. Despite all efforts and the occasional scandalous declarations of Okruashvili, the party’s ratings remain low. It seems Kitsmarishvili was not doing very well in his campaign to be mayor of Rustavi.

According to rumours, there were problems with business too. In two years Kitsmarishvili did not pay Maestro TV compensation of over $2 million for repercussions caused by a conflict within the company in 2012. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Interior Ministry’s suicide theory had grounds indeed. But there are ominous rumours going around Tbilisi. Several high-ranking ex-officials responsible for ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s security and a woman doing housework for his wife Sandra Rulofs had been summoned for questioning by prosecutors right before the death of Kitsmarishvili. Prosecutors noted that the criminal case over which they were to be questioned was classified. The silence of the people questioned is understandable. But the mystery has only provoked more gossip.

Giorgy Volsky, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, a man well-informed, said at a press conference that the security officials and the houseworker had probably been summoned over a case involving Mikheil Saakashvili. The ex-president had refused to see prosecutors and answer questions and rejected an offer to communicate via Skype.

The interest of the investigators in Saakashvili is associated with the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and the murder of bank official Sandro Girgvliani. Prosecutors are not suspecting the ex-president but they have questions that only he can answer. Saakashvili refused to contact them even in this case. He called the summoning of the ex-officials of security and the houseworker “further political pressure.”

Saakashvili may need to find a better excuse in the future. Ex-speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze testified yesterday. Contacts of investigators with Saakashvili became particularly acute after that. As Burjanadze said over the Girgvliani case, ex-Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who had served his sentence, and Mikheil Saakashvili himself could have hindered the investigative process and the passing of a fair sentence. Neither of them were interested in losing faithful high-ranking officers of the Interior Ministry allegedly responsible for murdering Girgvliani after a row in a Tbilisi café. Zhvania’s family demands that Saakashvili give answers. Some articles in the local media contacting witnesses of the case see a need for this.

“There cannot be and has never been any connection between the causes célèbre, involving officials of the old government one way or another, and the death. But nothing can be ruled out in Georgia, especially in such coincidences with questionings. Kitsmarishvili was a well-informed figure. I remind that it was his Rustavi-2 TV company that played an exceptionally important role in the Rose Revolution. Kitsmarishvili was welcome in any offices after that, he was on a friendly footing with many important people. At some point he overestimated his value and, as rumours say, tried to make demands for a reward for the work of his TV company in the days of the Rose Revolution. But, some say, his interests conflicted with the interests of Badri Patarkatsishvili and he lost. After that, he started his diplomatic career abroad. I do not remember exactly, but both aforementioned tragic events under investigation happened while Kitsmarishvili was away from Georgia. It does not rule out chances that he could have known a lot about the death of Zhvania and the murder and investigation of the Girgvliani case. But these are just theories. It no less likely that Kitsmarishvili’s death has nothing to do with that,” an anonymous source told Vestnik Kavkaza.

Georgian journalist abroad Georgy Popkhadkhe said on Facebook that he did not believe in the suicide of Kitsmarishvili. “He was full of plans. In particular, two days ago, he told me that he was planning to launch cable television and be more active in the non-governmental sector. No one will make me believe in his suicide,” Popkhadze wrote. Badri Nanetashvili, the head of the Trialeti regional TV company, does not believe in the suicide either. In his words, he had a conversation with Kitsmarishvili just a few hours before the tragedy and saw no signs of the upcoming incident.

Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani urged people to abstain from speculations over the death of Erosi Kitsmarishvili. The Georgian Interior Ministry initiated a case into abetment of suicide.

A mysterious murder and classified questioningsBy Victoria Panfilova, a columnist of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaErosi Kitsmarishvili, former Georgian ambassador to Russia and the UN, ex-head and co-owner of Rustavi-2 TV, a candidate for the mayor of Rustavi, a city not far from Tbilisi, was found dead on Tuesday. His bodyguards found him dead in his car near his home. The Georgian Interior Ministry said that “a gun was lying next to him, it was possibly suicide.”The death of such a young, venturesome and talented man is certainly a tragedy. Erosi Kitsmarishvili’s recent work, it could be seen, was not going very smoothly. He put his bets on ex-Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili of the Georgian Party, of which the ex-minister was the leader and political secretary. Despite all efforts and the occasional scandalous declarations of Okruashvili, the party’s ratings remain low. It seems Kitsmarishvili was not doing very well in his campaign to be mayor of Rustavi.According to rumours, there were problems with business too. In two years Kitsmarishvili did not pay Maestro TV compensation of over $2 million for repercussions caused by a conflict within the company in 2012. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Interior Ministry’s suicide theory had grounds indeed. But there are ominous rumours going around Tbilisi. Several high-ranking ex-officials responsible for ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s security and a woman doing housework for his wife Sandra Rulofs had been summoned for questioning by prosecutors right before the death of Kitsmarishvili. Prosecutors noted that the criminal case over which they were to be questioned was classified. The silence of the people questioned is understandable. But the mystery has only provoked more gossip.Giorgy Volsky, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, a man well-informed, said at a press conference that the security officials and the houseworker had probably been summoned over a case involving Mikheil Saakashvili. The ex-president had refused to see prosecutors and answer questions and rejected an offer to communicate via Skype.The interest of the investigators in Saakashvili is associated with the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and the murder of bank official Sandro Girgvliani. Prosecutors are not suspecting the ex-president but they have questions that only he can answer. Saakashvili refused to contact them even in this case. He called the summoning of the ex-officials of security and the houseworker “further political pressure.”Saakashvili may need to find a better excuse in the future. Ex-speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze testified yesterday. Contacts of investigators with Saakashvili became particularly acute after that. As Burjanadze said over the Girgvliani case, ex-Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who had served his sentence, and Mikheil Saakashvili himself could have hindered the investigative process and the passing of a fair sentence. Neither of them were interested in losing faithful high-ranking officers of the Interior Ministry allegedly responsible for murdering Girgvliani after a row in a Tbilisi café. Zhvania’s family demands that Saakashvili give answers. Some articles in the local media contacting witnesses of the case see a need for this.“There cannot be and has never been any connection between the causes célèbre, involving officials of the old government one way or another, and the death. But nothing can be ruled out in Georgia, especially in such coincidences with questionings. Kitsmarishvili was a well-informed figure. I remind that it was his Rustavi-2 TV company that played an exceptionally important role in the Rose Revolution. Kitsmarishvili was welcome in any offices after that, he was on a friendly footing with many important people. At some point he overestimated his value and, as rumours say, tried to make demands for a reward for the work of his TV company in the days of the Rose Revolution. But, some say, his interests conflicted with the interests of Badri Patarkatsishvili and he lost. After that, he started his diplomatic career abroad. I do not remember exactly, but both aforementioned tragic events under investigation happened while Kitsmarishvili was away from Georgia. It does not rule out chances that he could have known a lot about the death of Zhvania and the murder and investigation of the Girgvliani case. But these are just theories. It no less likely that Kitsmarishvili’s death has nothing to do with that,” an anonymous source told Vestnik Kavkaza.Georgian journalist abroad Georgy Popkhadkhe said on Facebook that he did not believe in the suicide of Kitsmarishvili. “He was full of plans. In particular, two days ago, he told me that he was planning to launch cable television and be more active in the non-governmental sector. No one will make me believe in his suicide,” Popkhadze wrote. Badri Nanetashvili, the head of the Trialeti regional TV company, does not believe in the suicide either. In his words, he had a conversation with Kitsmarishvili just a few hours before the tragedy and saw no signs of the upcoming incident.Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani urged people to abstain from speculations over the death of Erosi Kitsmarishvili. The Georgian Interior Ministry initiated a case into abetment of suicid