Shcherbakov said that Sidorov, editor of the Tolyatti Review, had been killed as a result of a drunken brawl. The paper is known for its investigations into organized crime in the hometown of Russia's auto industry.
Denying reports that it was a contract hit, he said investigators believe Sidorov was "drinking alcohol" not far from his home and was stabbed in the back after two men asked him for alcohol. "The murder of the journalist is not a contract hit," Shcherbakov said.
But Review deputy editor Rimma Mikhareva, speaking by telephone from Tolyatti on Wednesday, rejected Shcherbakov's version of events. "They are trying to wrap up the investigation as soon as possible," she said. "This is absolutely unreal. Alexei left the office at around 9 p.m. after working on the headline to his article, which was due to be published in Friday's issue."
Mikhareva said Sidorov could not have been near his home 50 minutes later, as he only had enough time to drive there. She said he had been investigating the murder of his predecessor, Valery Ivanov, in April 2002.
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