South Ossetia denies involvement in preparing terror act in Georgia

Valery Pukhaev, head of the police of the Leningor (Akhalgori) District of South Ossetia, has categorically refuted the statement of the Georgia's MIA about his involvement in the attempt to blow up the NATO office in Tbilisi.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that the MIA of Georgia has spread information today that a certain Badri Gogiashvili was detained in the Mtskheta District on suspicion of preparing a terror act at the NATO office in Tbilisi. He stated that he was instructed to commit the crime by Russian militaries and South Ossetian militiamen.

The message of the Georgian MIA mentions the head of the Leningor District Militia of South Ossetia Vladimir Pukhaev. Meanwhile, there is no such police boss in the Leningor District, since the name of the district militia is Valery, not Vladimir, the Ossetian Radio and Television reports.

"People are now calling me, talk about some terror act; they learn about it from the Internet. What should I tell them? I've prepared nothing; I'm at work, together with my personnel," said Valery Pukhaev.

He added that he does not know in the Leningor District any resident named Badri Gogiashvili, the ITAR-TASS reports.

Let us remind you that Gogiashvili asserted that Alexei Sokolov, deputy commander of Russian troops stationed in Akhalgori; Vladimir Pukhaev, militia head in Akhalgori; and Vladimir Tibilov, an employee of the city militia of Akhalgori, promised him 2000 US dollars for blowing up the liaison NATO office in Tbilisi.

On June 2, the Georgian MIA stated prevention of a terror act in Samegrelo region, which, according to the Ministry, had been prepared by two residents of Abkhazia under instruction of Russian security services.

Moscow believes that by accusing Russia of organizing terror acts in the territory of Georgia, Tbilisi tries to escape from real problems in relations with its neighbours. In their turn, Russian authorities accuse Georgia of spy mania.