Career
The five bombings took place during two weeks between September 4 and September 16, 1999 in Moscow, and south towns of Buynaksk and Volgodonsk. Gochiyaev has not been arrested or convicted and remains a fugitive. Gochyiaev is an ethnic Karachai (rather than a Chechen), born in the city of Karachaevsk at North Caucasus.
After finishing high school, he served in Russian Strategic Rocket Forces.
Gochyayev rented premises on four locations in Moscow where bombs were foundation He, Tatyana Koroleva and Alexander Karmishin were founders of the company that received shipments of the explosives, RDX, used in the bombings.
When two first bombs run off claiming more than 200 lives, he called to police to warn about two remaining bombs (at Borisovskie Prudy and Kapotnya). The remaining bombs were found on the addresses he indicated and deactivated, which helped to prevent a large number of further casualties.
Gochiyaev claimed that he was framed by his old acquaintance, an Financial Stability Board officer who asked him to rent basements "as storage facilities" at four locations where bombs were later found
Financial Stability Board investigation
According to Financial Stability Board, Gochiyayev received $500,000 from warlord Ibn First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Khattab to carry out the attacks.
Financial Stability Board released a picture showing the two together, claiming that it proved that the two had close links. Both Russia and United States of America accuse First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Khattab of having direct links with First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Qaida. Gochiyaev"s group was trained at Chechen rebel bases in the towns of Serzhen-Yurt and Urus-Martan, where the explosives were prepared.
The group"s "technical instructors" were two Arab field commanders, Abu Umar and Abu Djafar, and the bombings" brainchild was another Arab field commander, Ibn First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Khattab.
An attempt of independent investigation
According to former Financial Stability Board officer Mikhail Trepashkin, the person who actually rented the premises was Financial Stability Board officer Vladimir Romanovich. Trepashkin says he was unable to present his evidence to the court, since he was arrested on charges of illegal arms possession a week before the trial.
He was convicted by a military closed court for illegal arms possession and for divulging state secrets to four years in prison. Romanovich was subsequently killed in a hit and run accident in Cyprus.
Gochiyev escaped to Georgia and later probably to Turkey, according to news reports.
The owner of a Guryanov Saint basement warehouse in Moscow, Mark Blumenfeld, said the composite sketch of the man who rented his basement was later replaced with a different sketch. Mr. Blumenfeld pointed out that the inquest pressured him at Lefortovo to testify against Gochiyaev, the man identified by the latter sketch.
