"Commersant": among possible paymasters of Politkovskaya's murder Pavluchenkov designated Zakaev and Berezovsky

Dmitry Pavluchenkov, ex-Chief of Operative-search department of Chief Directorate of Interior Affairs of Moscow, who entered into collaboration with the investigation evidenced that Ahmed Zakaev and Boris Berezovsky could have been paymasters of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, observer of "Novaya Gazeta", "Commersant" newspaper reports today. Committee of Inquiry of Russia (CIR) neither confirmed nor disproved this information.

Pavluchenkov implied that he himself had no information of ex-emissary of Chechen gunmen Ahmed Zakaev and businessman Boris Berezovsky as the paymasters but he heard about it from other persons involved, in particular, Lom-Ali Gaitukaev. As far as Pavluchenkov knew, Politkovskaya's murder was connected with the conflict she had with Zakaev and Berezovsky in London. He did not know the reason of the conflict for Gaitukaev did not let him into the details, "Commersant" reports.

According to the newspaper, Pavluchenkov evidenced this on Friday, February, 24.

The attorney the ex-lieutenant-colonel of the Ministry of Interior Affairs Karen Nersisyan in fact confirmed this data.

According to the version of CIR, in summer of 2006 Gaitukaev received 150 thousand dollars from the paymasters for organizing the murder. Part of the money was paid to Dmitry Pavluchenkov for shadowing Anna Politkovskaya for which he used the personnel of Operative-search department of Chief Directorate of Interior Affairs. Another part, according to the investigation's version, was received by Sergey Khajikurbanov, ex-officer of Central regional department of fight against organized crime of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Attorney of Politkovskaya's family Anna Stavitskaya declared that she knew nothing of Dmitry Pavluchenkov's new evidence. Editorial Director of "Novaya Gazeta" Sergey Sokolov says that Anna Politkovskaya contacted Boris Berezovsky within the framework of her journalist's work and was Ahmed Zakaev's friend. "I have even no idea what could cause a quarrel among them", Sokolov says.

The newspaper states that Ahmed Zakaev had never met or contacted Gaitukaev and London had not received a request of his interrogation on the case of Politkovskaya's murder. Boris Berezovsky refused to comment on defendant Pavluchenkov's evidence suggesting to wait for official statements concerning the paymasters from CIR or Prosecutor General's, the newspaper informs.

Dmitry Pavluchenkov did really evidence that Boris Berezovsky and Ahmed Zakaev could have been paymasters of Anna Politkovskaya's murder, however, it has not yet have been confirmed by any other proofs, a source aware of the situation stated.

Besides, according to the source, law enforcement bodies have no reliable evidence at their disposal yet that Politkovskaya's murder was committed on Berezovsky or Zakaev's instruction, "Interfax" reports.

Official representative of CIR Vladimir Markin, in his turn, withheld comments on the situation.