The new version of the murder of the Chechen poet in Moscow: Caucasian mercenaries shot him because of the business

In the case of the murder of the Chechen poet Ruslan Akhtakhanov in Moscow, a new version appeared. The emphasis with a crime for ideological reasons has shifted to commerce. If earlier investigators considered the priority about the murder by order of members of the North Caucasian Band of the Bangs, dissatisfied with its socio-political views, now they say that the cause of a brutal reprisal with the poet could be his conflict with certain businessmen in the construction sector, the source of Interfax said in law enforcement agencies.

"During the operational-search measures, information was received that Akhtakhanov, using his many connections in the authorities, episodically helped business structures in resolving issues of land allocation for construction in Moscow," the agency’s interlocutor said. According to operational data, "one of the lobbying projects was not implemented, in connection with which claims could be made to the poet." "Thus, at present, the commercial version of the crime seems to be the most probable," the source said.

He noted that the so -called first circle of Akhtakhanov’s communication has already been established, its phone base and email is being studied. At the same time, the interlocutor of the agency emphasized that "the versions of blood feud and the connection of the murder of the poet with his creative activity are also actively checked."

"In addition, operational data on the emergence of a criminal group from the North Caucasus in Moscow, specializing in the murders for hiring, have been obtained. Now the group members are being developed in order to clarify their personalities and possible involvement in the murder of Akhtakhanov," the agency’s interlocutor said.

Earlier, a version was also expressed about the possible involvement in the murder of Akhtakhanov persons who shot the former colonel of the Russian army Yuri Budanov in June: the Killers' methods turned out to be the same as the killers of Budanov.

The investigation also did not exclude that one of the motives of the current crime could be the socio-political views of Akhtakhanov, who advocated the preservation of Chechnya in the Russian Federation and was a supporter of not only religious, but also secular development of the republic, which caused discontent among radical gang formations. In any case, most likely Akhtakhanov’s murder was registered, investigators say.

The famous figure of Chechen culture, an academician and honorary professor of the modern humanitarian academy, 58-year-old poet Ruslan Akhtakhanov was killed on the evening of November 15 near House number 2 on Bogovoy Street in Moscow. The criminal fired two shots from the IZH pistol, when Akhtakhanov got out of his car and headed home. The attackers hid in the Ford Focus car, which was later burned. On the fact of the murder of the Chechen poet, two criminal cases were instituted: under Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder and illegal turnover of weapons).