Officials Say Peter Shaw Blames Georgian Minister, Businessman for Abduction

(Tbilisi, December 14, 2002. Civil Georgia) – Chief of the Kakheti regional Security Department, which visited Britain to question Peter Shaw, held in abduction for 141 days, says that British citizens claims Georgian Minister of Agriculture and president of the Georgian company Ushba, might be involved in his kidnapping.

“Shaw told us that there are two persons in Georgia, which could be interested in his abduction: Davit Kirvalidze, Agriculture Minister and Gocha Pipia, president of Ushba,” Paata Batiashvili, regional security chief told the Rustavi 2 TV channel on December 14.

Three representatives of the Georgian law enforcement agencies have recently visited Britain to interrogate Peter Shaw, which was abduction from Tbilisi on June 18.

The Minister of Agriculture made no statement so far. The official of the Ministry’s press office told the Civil Georgia that Davit Kirvalidze refuses accusations and calls them “absurd”. The Minister will release an official statement regarding the accusations later today.

Peter Shaw was released on November 6. So far there are no detailed reports regarding the circumstances of British citizen’s release. Georgian law enforcers claim that Shaw was freed as a result of the well-planned operation, while Shaw says that he could escape from his capturers.

Peter Shaw, a retired manager of the Agro-Business Bank of Georgia, was working for the European Union’s Tacis programme, which organizes loans for the agricultural sector.

He had spent six years in Georgia and was to leave for Britain just the day after he was kidnapped.

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