The Interior Ministry said late on Friday night that it has “identified a person linked” to an explosion that hit a car, carrying lawmaker from opposition UNM party Givi Targamadze and his driver.
MP Targamadze and his driver survived in car explosion late on October 4 in the center of Tbilisi, close to Freedom Square; four by-passers were injured.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that as a result of ongoing investigation, which also included examination of footage from CCTV cameras, it was possible “to identify the person involved in the blast”.
“Other important information was also obtained as a result of the ongoing investigation, which can’t be disclosed to the public at the moment,” the Interior Ministry said, which described the case as “solved”.
The suspect was not identified by the name, but the Interior Ministry released portions of CCTV footage through which it claims it was possible to identify the suspect.
“His whereabouts are not known at the moment,” the Interior Ministry said, adding that efforts are underway to detain him.
It also said that the police searched suspect’s home, as well as homes of unidentified number of other individuals “connected” to the suspect.
The Interior Ministry said “various types of firearms, hand grenade and presumably explosives, as well as materials to make explosives” were found.
News about new developments in MP’s car explosion first broke on Friday evening, when Tbilisi-based Imedi TV reported about police search at home of an alleged suspect in Gldani district of Tbilisi; the man was identified in the report by the name and as a former law enforcement officer.
Police investigate the case as “an attempted murder in aggravating circumstances.”
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)