Georgia's kidnap victim found dead

President Shevardnadze pledged to fight crime

Police in Georgia say the father of a top Russian oil executive who was kidnapped 10 days ago has been found dead.

Lukoil's vice-president Sergei Kukura was kidnapped in September

The body of Sadi Sharifov - whose son, Vagit Sharifov, is a vice-president of Russia's biggest oil company, Lukoil - was discovered by the roadside about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

There are conflicting reports about the cause of his death. A spokesman for Georgia's interior ministry was quoted by the AFP news agency that Mr Sharifov appeared to have died a natural death while in captivity.

Mr Sharifov, 79, was snatched from his home in Georgia's Dmanisi region by masked attackers, and the local media reported that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of about $500,000.

There have been a string of abductions in Georgia recently, with foreigners or Georgians with wealthy relatives being particularly targeted for ransom.

Mr Sharifov's abduction came only months after the kidnapping of a Lukoil vice-president, Sergei Kukura, who was held for 13 days.

'Common criminal act'

Mr Sharifov was taken from his home in the village of Pantiani, in the remote mountains of eastern Georgia on 1 December.

British banker Peter Shaw was another victim of Georgian kidnappers

The attackers also took $400 in cash and jewellery from the house and escaped in a getaway car which they later abandoned.

Georgia's Interior Minister, Koba Narchemashvili, has immediately launched an investigation into the death of Mr Sharifov, who was kidnapped once before, in 1993.

Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze expressed his condolences to the Sharifov family.

"Shevardnadze once again demanded that security organs put all their efforts into combating the criminal situation the country," his spokesman said.

Georgian officials had earlier described the abduction as a "common criminal act", adding that it was probably carried out by the same people.

Criminal industry

Correspondents says that high-profile kidnappings are said to be turning into a criminal industry in Georgia, prompting warnings from the European Union.

Two Spanish businessmen were kept captive for more than a year until their relatives paid an undisclosed ransom.

Last month British banker Peter Shaw was freed in the Pankisi Gorge region after spending four months as a hostage.

The mother of another senior Russian oil executive from the Slavneft company is still missing after being kidnapped last month in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.