Investigation of assault on satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky continues

Moscow law enforcement authorities continue the investigation of an assault on Russia’s famous satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky on January 5. The alleged criminals have already been detained. The satirist is unlikely to regain his new SUV, a Mercedes G-500. The car has been probably already been transported to criminals in Chechnya. Mikhail Zhvanetsky bought the car from the Logovaz- Belyaevo auto-salon for $89 000 on January 5. On that very evening, he was assaulted near his cottage; the criminals also stole $600 and a case with notebooks. The satirist himself was thrown out from the car in an inhabited area near the Kapotnya district.

The criminals must had been perfectly aware of the purchase when they attacked the satirist. The satirist, in his turn, being aware of the present-day situation, insured the car right after its purchase in the salon. However, the insurer says that cars are seldom stolen the next day after the signing of an insurance contract and such cases always give rise to doubts. At the same time, the insurer, Alfa Insurance group, will compensate the whole sum of $90 000 to the satirist. Moreover, the company is ready to pay 100 000 rubles to those who bring back the papers stolen from Mikhail Zhvanetsky.

Law enforcement authorities of Moscow already detained five members of a gang who have assaulted owners of foreign cars. The people are considered to be the criminals who assaulted the satirist. At the lineup, Mikhail Zhvanetsky said that one of the detained criminals resembled one of the people who had assaulted him. The voice of another criminal also seemed to be familiar for him, but the satirist still hesitates to say whether these are criminals who assaulted him.

The investigation continues...

Sergey Stefanov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

In the photo: Russian satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/14/35520.html