Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died, Minister for Police and Public Security Vano Merabishvili told journalists. According to Merabishvili, Zhvania died last night as a result of an accident. The prime minister was poisoned by gas, Merabishvili specified.
"The prime minister arrived at his friend's apartment around twelve o'clock," Merabishvili said. The prime minister's security detail later repeatedly tried to contact Zhvania by phone, but he did not answer. Around four o'clock in the morning, according to Merabishvili, the security detail got into the apartment. "They found the bodies of Zurab Zhvania and his friend in the apartment," he said.
Merabishvili specified that Zhvania was together with his friend Raul Usupov, who was deputy governor of the Kvemo Kartli region. "This is an accident. I was personally at the scene," the minister emphasized. "A gas heater of Iranian manufacture was installed in the room. Probably this happened immediately, because Zhvania was sitting in an armchair, and his friend's body was in the kitchen," Merabishvili said.
Merabishvili noted that a table was set in the room. Apparently, Zhvania and his friend were playing backgammon, the minister added. "The security detail immediately informed (about the prime minister's death) the head of the Government Protection Service, Deputy Prime Minister Georgiy Baramidze, President Mikheil Saakashvili, me and the prosecutor general. An investigation is under way, the bodies have been taken to the morgue for examination," Merabishvili reported.