"They hoped that with the death of the premier our strategy will change", Mr. Ankvab said.
It is law-enforcers who have to set up leads, he said. In his opinion, "some people in Abkhazia cannot stomach our reforms, they don't want to live according to law and don't want law to operate in Abkhazia".
Mr. Ankvab thinks that the crime elements are going to continue their doings but the new leadership stands in their way. "We are not to be intimidated. We will continue our course and, I think, people will give us a backing", he declared.
Mr. Ankvab said that on the night of February 28, when his car with only the driver inside was leaving Sukhumi it got under submachine gun fire. At that time, Mr. Ankvab was in the car of Vice-Premier Leonid Lakerbaya, which also got under fire but the driver managed to take it to safety.
"During the last election campaign threats were hurled in our address - Sergei Bagapsh (president of the unrecognised republic) and me", Mr. Ankvab said.
One of the threats has just been realized, he believes. The premier said that Mr. Bagapsh had summoned the prosecutor general, interior minister, head of the State Security Service and instructed them to do everything necessary to clear the crime.
