Georgia to investigate death of TV tycoon

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president has called for a murder investigation into the death of an influential TV tycoon.

Erosi Kitsmarishvili, the founder of the Rustavi 2 channel, was found dead in his car with a bullet in his head on Tuesday. His family and friends insist he was not suicidal.

Kitsmarishvili is believed to have been one of the crucial players behind the 2003 Rose Revolution that installed pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Current Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Wednesday called for a speedy investigation, describing the death as a “violent murder”.

The Prosecutor General’s office said that hours before he died Kitsmarishviliobtained a license for the gun that was found in his car. Prosecutors are investigating the case as a suicide and are looking into whether anyone else was involved.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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