An anonymous eyewitness has identified Magomed Suleimanov, a suspect in the June 10 murder of disgraced army commander Yury Budanov, in a police lineup, Kommersant reported Thursday.
Investigators say the eyewitness, codenamed "Aslan," saw Suleimanov, 41, get into the Mitsubishi Lancer that sped away from crime scene in downtown Moscow and was found charred to a crisp in a nearby courtyard.
The lineup may raise questions in the courtroom, however, because Suleimanov was the only man in the three-person lineup wearing handcuffs.
Investigators hope forensic tests on samples found in the burned-out car will confirm Suleimanov's involvement, Kommersant said.
Suleimanov is a respected Muslim scholar and a mediator for the Chechen diaspora in Moscow, his friends told the daily, calling him a man who “solves problems.”
He has denied shooting Budanov, 47, who served time in prison for murdering a Chechen girl in 2000, during the military campaign in the republic, and was released on parole in 2009.
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