MOSCOW (Reuters) - A prominent Moscow businessman was shot dead overnight in what police believed was a contract killing, Russian media reported on Thursday.
Yevgeny Chivilikhin, president of the Moscow Markets andFairs Guild, died from several wounds to the head after beingambushed by an unknown gunman at the entrance to his house incentral area of the Russian capital.
"Police believe this was a contract killing," said theVesti-24 television channel.
Police were quoted as saying they hoped footage fromsurveillance cameras installed at the house could help to findthe killer.
In 2006, Chivilikhin escaped unhurt when a bomb explodednear his house.
Chivilikhin, 57, was a co-owner of a giant market complexin Moscow.
Several criminal groups had fought for control of the busyarea that was visited by hundreds of thousands customers daily,media reports said.
Last September a senior detective investigating fraud andcorruption in Russian businesses was shot dead in Moscow.
In October 2006, a gunman killed deputy central bankerAndrei Kozlov who had been investigating money laundering atbanks.
Contract killings were commonplace in the turbulent 1990sin Russia but have become less frequent.
(Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Ralph Gowling)
