Chechnya, November 21, Caucasus Times - The information on abduction of Salambek Maigov's election team leader was not proved, the police said. Recently it has been reported that Abuyadig Sahayev, the head of the election headquarters of Salambek Maigov running for a Duma seat in Chechen electoral district was abducted by unknown gunmen and disappeared.

As of Friday afternoon, the abduction report has been refuted. Moreover, the one who was allegedly "abducted" turned out another man detained by the police. The Chechen electoral commission and the law-enforcement agencies consider the information to be an intended action of Maigov's activists to obtain more votes in election campaign.

"There was no abduction at all. We were just misled by Maigov's campaigners. Actually, the police did detain Ibrahim Umarhajiyev, who said he was an activist of Maigov's election team in Staropromislovsky region of Groznyy. We believed he was accountable for illegal meeting in support of Maigov. The man was released right after questioning, because he had nothing to do with the incident. However, the guys from Maigov's office have started to spread a "canard" on abduction of Mr. Sahayev. Later, we have found out that Adlan Khasuyev is the head of the election team," the Interior Ministry officer said.

The officer complained, the police had to conduct investigation into a fabricated case hunting down unreal abductors. He was quoted as saying, "They launched this false story to get Maigov's rating increased to obtain more votes." The Maigov's activists blame the incident on other candidates' headquarters.

Ruslan Adayev, Caucasus Times, Chechnya

Refugees returning to Chechnya supplied with expired products

INGUSHETIA, November 21, Caucasus Times - In the last several days, the displaced persons returning to Chechnya have been receiving products with expired dates at a warehouse in Ordzhonikidzevskaya village allocated by the department on migration of Ingushetia Interior Ministry.

According to the refugees they were supplied with food rations that the department should give them a year ago.

"These here cans of stewed beef and condensed milk are inflated, because the expire date has been over a month ago. We can't eat that stuff, just have to throw them away," Kosum Israilov, a local man of Samashky village said in his interview with the Caucasus Times correspondent.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry department neither confirmed nor denied the information. "We are not charged to buy the food rations for the refugees. Everything that has been allocated for our department we give to refugees right away. The products are transported from Nalchik, therefore the purveyor is to be blamed," the Ministry department officials said.

Malika Suleymenova, Caucasus Times, Ingushetia

http://www.lenta.ru/vojna/2003/11/22/schoolgirls/ ( tr. by M.L.)

22.11.2003  15:49:03 version for the press

Shelling of a house in the Vedeno district of Chechnya wounds two schoolgirls

In the village of Makhkety of the Vedeno district of Chechnya, two schoolgirls have been badly wounded when the house they were in was shelled. As reports the Internet-Gazeta.Ru with the reference to the head of the district administration Kazbek Selimov the house was fired upon, and after that there was an explosion in it. The schoolgirls - sisters Zaira and Zareta Tashukhatdzhiyevas, 13 and 14 years old, were delivered to the hospital in the adjacent Shali district of the republic with some fragmentation wounds.

Selimov noted that the house was totally destroyed. It hasn't been established yet who had fired on it. Investigation is going on.