Georgian MIA names hostage-taking suspect

Badri Esebua took part in the attack on the "Bank of Georgia" branch in the city of Zugdidi and taking hostages, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported. The suspect was an employee of the Georgian Ministry of Defence (MoD), journalists have found out. Relatives have not seen Esebua since the attack on the bank, but they rule out his involvement in the hostage-taking.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 21, an armed man broke into the Zugdidi branch of the "Bank of Georgia" and took 43 people as hostages. In exchange for the release of most of the hostages, the police provided him with a car and half a million US dollars. The robber with three hostages drove the car towards Abkhazia, after which he released the people and disappeared.

The Georgian MIA has identified the suspect of robbing the "Bank of Georgia" branch as Badri Esebua, born in 1988.

The "Sputnik-Georgia" reports that Badri Esebua is a former MoD's employee, who left it a year ago. His relatives categorically exclude Badri's involvement in the hostage-taking, claiming that he is much shorter than the one who attacked the bank. According to the suspect's mother, on the day of the attack on the bank, he left his home at about noon and went to Tbilisi to visit a doctor. A few hours later, the bank was attacked. After that, Badri Esebua did not appear at home, the "Sputnik-Georgia" has reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 26, 2020 at 09:48 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.