Law enforcers tell about Pankisi detainees' links with Chataev

Temirlan Machalikashvili, who was wounded by law enforcers in the Pankisi Gorge, had met with Akhmed Chataev in Tbilisi; and a banking contract to his name was found in Chataev's apartment, the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) has stated today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 26, the SSS reported detention of five people  after the CTO conducted in the villages of Omalo and Duisi in the Pankisi Gorge. The special operation to detain Ruslan Aldamov, Baadur Chopanashvili, Ramaz Margoshvili, Temirlan Machalikashvili and Zurab Gornakashvili was sanctioned by the court after examining the evidence of their links with Akhmed Chataev and his grouping, Nino Giorgobiani, the head of an SSS Department, said on air of the "Rustavi-2" TV Channel today.

Operative agents have video footage showing Akhmed Chataev, Shoaip Borziev and Aslambek Soltakhmadov moving along Tbilisi together with Temirlan Machalikashvili. Besides, in Chataev's Tbilisi apartment, a banking contract to the name of Machalikashvili was found, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

According to the SSS, Ruslan Aldamov, Baadur Chopanashvili, Ramaz Margoshvili and Temirlan Machakashvili "were directly in charge of the penetration of Akhmed Chataev's grouping into Georgia," by providing members of the grouping with housing, food, mobile telephones and other household items.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.