St. Petersburg, 18 August 1997 (RFE/RL) - The deputy governor and Public Property Chief of Russia's second city, St. Petersburg, was shot dead in the center of the city today.
The mayor's office said Mikhail Manevich was travelling with his wife in a car when eight shots from an automatic rifle penetrated the roof of his vehicle, killing him and wounding his wife.
A Federal Security Service spokesman said it cannot be ruled out that the killer was shooting from an attic of a building. The building from where the shots were fired is on the corner of St Petersburg's busiest shopping street.
Manevich headed the State Property Committee -- responsible for real estate -- in St. Petersburg. In his capacity, Manevich was involved in the city's biggest -- and controversial -- privatization programs, including the profitable auction of the city's port and of several hotels.
RFE/RL'S St. Petersburg correspondent says Manevich was scheduled to travel to Moscow later today, reportedly for a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais.
The mayor's office said Mikhail Manevich was travelling with his wife in a car when eight shots from an automatic rifle penetrated the roof of his vehicle, killing him and wounding his wife.
A Federal Security Service spokesman said it cannot be ruled out that the killer was shooting from an attic of a building. The building from where the shots were fired is on the corner of St Petersburg's busiest shopping street.
Manevich headed the State Property Committee -- responsible for real estate -- in St. Petersburg. In his capacity, Manevich was involved in the city's biggest -- and controversial -- privatization programs, including the profitable auction of the city's port and of several hotels.
RFE/RL'S St. Petersburg correspondent says Manevich was scheduled to travel to Moscow later today, reportedly for a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais.