The terrorist act staged at the government headquarters in Grozny on December 27, 2002 was organized by Chechen rebel leaders.

GROZNY. March 12 (Interfax) -

"This is clear from the evidence provided by suspects in the case. Investigators have picked up the trail of Basayev and Maskhadov," Chechnya's Prosecutor-General Vladimir Kravchenko told Interfax on Wednesday.

"There are several theories regarding the crime, none of which can be discarded. The theory of Basayev's involvement has not been rejected and will be checked by investigators," Kravchenko said.

Three of the suspects confessed to the crime, he said, adding that "their evidence has been checked and confirmed against the materials from the investigation."

The defendants described those who carried out the terrorist act: the three people who penetrated into the government building on two trucks loaded with explosives. "This evidence coincides with the evidence provided by the traffic policemen who gave the trucks clearance to the buildings," the prosecutor said.

He said the three policemen who were guarding the external gates of the compound are still under arrest. "They are accused of negligence and will be tried," Kravchenko said.

Earlier, Russia's Deputy Prosecutor-General Sergei Fridinsky told Interfax that several other suspects are being searched for.

"We have established the names of all the people who were involved in this crime, including those who organized it and carried it out," he said, but did not disclose either the names of those arrested or of the suicide bombers.

Three of the arrested persons were members of a gang led by Khadzhimuradov, who has already been killed. "Their role was to prepare the terrorist act, bring trucks to Grozny and fill them with explosives," Fridinsky said.

As a result of an explosion of two trucks carrying about one tonne of explosives, 70 people were killed and about 200 suffered injuries.

Publication: Interfax

Distributed by Financial Times Information Limited