The Chechens were caught red-handed in Moscow, in last Tuesday's small hours, as they were extorting a ransom for two men they had kidnapped. The pistol found on one of the detainees was the one that killed Paul Klebnikov, says primary ballistic expertise.
The detainees deny whatever involvement in the murder and allege they got the pistol from certain unidentified persons. The investigation is checking their statement.
Paul Klebnikov, US national of Russian ancestry, was editor-in-chief of the Forbes magazine Russian-language version. He was attacked, July 9, while leaving his office in Dokukin Street close to the Botanichesky Sad metro station, in a posh Moscow neighbourhood. The journalist was taken to hospital with several bullet wounds, and died without regaining consciousness. He had been with the Forbes since 1989.
The city prosecutor's office eventually passed murder investigation to the federal top prosecutor's experts.
