Detectives very close to identification of Politkovskaya murder masterminds – Markin

MOSCOW. Jan 14 (Interfax) – Detectives investigating the murder of Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya are very close to the identification of persons who ordered the high-profile crime. The possible involvement of Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakayev has not been proven so far, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax in an exclusive interview.

“I can say that the strategy and tactics of the investigation of the Anna Politkovskaya murder are aimed at the consistent collection of evidence, which would both validate the charges and help identify the masterminds of the murder,” Markin said.

“Detectives have achieved their goals, and we have made big progress towards the identification of the masterminds, whose criminal cases have been separated and are being investigated actively,” he said.

As known, ex-policeman Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, convicted within this case, said that he learned from a suspected organizer of the murder, Lom-Ali Gaidukayev, that the murder of Politkovskaya was ordered by former emissary of Chechen separatists A. Zakayev and exiled oligarch B. Berezovsky.

“This theory has not been confirmed as of the current stage of investigation,” Markin stressed.