Ukraine journalist's murder unsolved

Death of journalist sparked anti-Kuchma protests

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian authorities have dramatically backtracked after claiming the killing of a controversial journalist had been "closed."

About a week after interior minister Yuri Smirnov said the murder of Georgiy Gongadze had been one of "hooliganism" with no political overtones, he told parliament his judgement had been "premature."

"So far, I have no grounds to state that the killing of Georgiy Gongadze has been solved," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying on Friday.

Reuters reported him as adding: "Yes, my statement caused a resonance, and, yes, legally, it was too early to speak.

"It was my personal opinion as someone involved in the case, (but) with the understanding that a conclusive answer to this question could only be given by the prosecutor's office, and not by either myself or the interior ministry."

Smirnov had sparked anger and disbelief among political opponents and the family of Gongadze by his earlier saying that the journalist had been killed by two criminals, who in turn were later slain.

The matter was to be treated as "purely criminal" as a result, AP quoted him as having said.

The opposition blame the government for Gongadze's death, an accusation heightened by the release by a fugitive presidential bodyguard of alleged recordings documenting President Leonid Kuchma and his senior aides discussing steps to silence Gongadze.

Kuchma has said the tapes were doctored.

Gongadze, 31, disappeared last September. A decapitated body, identified by Russian and United States experts as that of the journalist, was found in woods near Kiev in November.

Gongadze was an outspoken critic of alleged high-level corruption and had complained of being hounded by interior police.

His death had sparked political demonstrations and protests.

Chief prosecutor Mykhailo Potebenko told parliament on Friday that Smirnov's criminal theory remained "the most probable one, which deserves attention."

He said Gongadze's supposed killers had a plan of the forest where his body was discovered, and dirt samples found inside their car were consistent with those in the forest.

But Smirnov said other avenues were being followed -- including possible links to Chechnya and criminals detained recently in southern Ukraine.