A former intelligence officer jailed for organizing a contract hit has implicated exiled businessman and outspoken Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky in the unsolved 1995 murder of television icon Vladislav Listyev, media reported Monday.
Yury Kolchin, who is believed to have worked for a St. Petersburg criminal group, said a local mafia don ordered a hit on Listyev, Fontanka.ru reported, adding that most criminals involved in the killing are dead.
The don, Konstantin Yakovlev, was possibly contracted by Berezovsky, who might have wanted to stop Listyev from fighting corruption at his ORT television holding, Izvestia said.
Fontanka.ru said Kolchin, jailed for his role in the killing of State Duma Deputy Galina Starovoitova, was aware of the hit but did not participate in it.
Berezovsky denied involvement, Fontanka.ru said.
(MT)
