Witness in Nalchik attack case reveals unknown details

Boris Gidaev, a witness in the criminal case about the attack on power agencies of Kabardino-Balkaria, told about the circumstances, known to him, which preceded the possible suicide of Valery Kuchmezov, an employee of law-enforcement bodies, which had to do with the events on October 13, 2005.

Mr Gidaev told to the court today that at the moment of the attack on Nalchik he worked as a militiaman of the Patrol and Post Service (PPS).

Under petition of the prosecution and defence, the witness' evidences were partially announced. They ran that after having arrived in OVD-1, the witness received a sub-machine gun and took part in resisting the attack. He saw that fire was held from a white "Zhiguli" car aside OVD-1.

However, at today's session Gidaev said: "I never gave such evidences and couldn't do it, since by the time of my arrival to OVD-1, there was no skirmish, and the fact of fire from 'Zhiguli' was told me by other employees."

The witness was shown signatures under the protocol. He confirmed his signature, but could explain nothing more; however, insisted on what he said at the session.

Then the witness was interrogated by the victim Kuchmezova, whose son, a law enforcer Valery Kuchmezov, under the official version, committed suicide. The mother believes that her son was executed, as he had identified one of the attackers.

She asked the witness, whether he had known her son and what he could tell about him; whether Valery has any grounds to commit suicide, and whether he received threats.

Boris Gidaev said that Valery had told him that he was approached by unidentified persons who put a pistol to his nape and ordered to refuse from his identification evidence. Valery told about it to the FSB Department and to the Division of Militia's Internal Safety. He was given a service pistol from which he later killed himself (or was shot dead, in the opinion of his mother).

State accuser Shmatov asked Gidaev what exactly he had seen. The witness answered: "He was driving an UAZ van. In the crossing of the Kabardinskaya and Kommunisticheskaya Streets, they collided with a Gazel car with militants inside, who opened fire. The driver of the UAZ was lost, and Kuchmezov received a tangent wound. Subsequently he stated that had recognized the gunman. According to Valery's words, it was a private taxi driver, whom he had seen every day and knew very well."

The man whom Kuchmezov had recognized was detained, but then released under recognizance not to leave and subsequently disappeared.

As Ms Kuchmezova said after the court session, the inquiry into her son's death was not duly conducted. Fingerprints were not taken from the pistol. She is sure that her son was killed, since he had no grounds to commit suicide.