Georgian minister suggests "criminal" motives behind South Ossetia bomb blast

Text of report by Georgian Imedi TV on 14 July

[Presenter] [MP] Givi Targamadze and [Foreign Minister] Gela Bezhuashvili have commented on the terrorist attack in South Ossetia.

[Targamadze, chairman of the parliamentary defence and security committee] The [Russian] FSB's plan is being systematically implemented. Part of that is claiming to have anonymous information from within the Georgian government. This seems to be their real plan aimed at carrying out major acts of provocation, including these terrorist attacks and attempts.

In addition, Russian armed forces are conducting major exercises on the North Ossetian side of the Roki Tunnel. We have received information today confirming that about 20 pieces of heavy armour have already been taken into South Ossetia. Naturally, no unit of the Georgian armed forces is involved in such acts of provocation.

[Bezhuashvili] As for today's incident, we are studying the details. It is very unfortunate, as we have been informed, that a child was killed and several people were wounded.

As far as we are currently aware, the person against whom this attack was aimed [South Ossetian MP Bala Bestuta] is involved in illegal trade and is a well-known criminal in the region. He controlled some kind of transport, so it cannot be ruled out that this was an ordinary, criminal matter.