Suspects on the loose

There are no arrests left in the murder of General Gamow

The Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court changed the preventive measure for 22-year-old Alexey Igrunov and 23-year-old Alexey Kuznetsov, suspected of murdering the head of the Sakhalin detachment of the Pacific Regional Directorate of the Federal Border Guard Service, General Vitaly Gamov, to a recognizance not to leave the place. On the night of May 21, 2002, bottles with a flammable mixture were thrown through the window of the Gamovs’ apartment. As a result of the fire, Vitaly Gamov received severe burns and died in the hospital a week later.

As it turned out, Igrunov and Kuznetsov were released from the pre-trial detention center on the recommendation of the investigators themselves two weeks ago, but the regional prosecutor’s office leading the investigation only now announced this. “We do not consider it advisable to continue to keep the suspects in custody, and this should not harm the investigation,” said the head of the investigation team, Oleg Danilchenko. According to him, before the trial they may end up in prison again, but only if they try to escape or put pressure on witnesses. However, it is possible that the charges against Igrunov and Kuznetsov will be dropped altogether. In any case, if there was strong evidence, they would hardly be allowed to go home so easily.

However, the cases against Igrunov and Kuznetsov have not yet been terminated. The court extended the investigation until March 21 this year. The third suspect in the murder of General Gamov, a native of Noginsk Alexei Anikin, has not yet been caught and is on the international wanted list. Back in June, he was charged in absentia. Investigators do not exclude the possibility that he is no longer alive. Those who ordered the assassination attempt on Mr. Gamov could have dealt with the perpetrator.

The main version of the assassination attempt on the general is still revenge from the fishing mafia. According to unofficial data, the investigation was able to trace a certain criminal group associated with the fishing mafia and establish an indirect connection between these authorities and the assassination attempt. A ladder was used in the attack, and an examination found traces of paint on it identical to that used on the façade of the Region building in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It was in this company that Alexey Anikin, who is wanted today, worked. It is noteworthy that Region also owns the Tulun ship, seized under mysterious circumstances in November 2002 by armed men at sea.

Dmitry CHERNOV, Vladivostok, Maxim GLADKY, Khabarovsk