Investigator Out in Politkovskaya Case

[CHIMO]

Source: The Moscow Times.

The lead investigator into the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been replaced, her former colleagues said Tuesday, in what they said showed political interference in the case.

Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper where Politkovskaya worked, said the chief investigator on the case, Pyotr Gabriyan, had been replaced by a more senior official. Politkovskaya's colleagues and family have praised Gabriyan's work.

Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said he believed the changes were the result of interference by the siloviki -- a Kremlin clan that controls intelligence, law enforcement and the military.

"The siloviki are achieving what they set out to achieve," Muratov said on Ekho Moskvy radio. "They wanted to ruin the case, and now they will remove Gabriyan and finish that process."



Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/09/05/011.html