VLADIKAVKAZ, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - The president of Russia's North Ossetian republic, where the Beslan terrorist attack took place last September, said Russian President Vladimir Putin's personal interference accelerated the investigation into the tragedy.
"The president's personal interference gave an impulse to the investigation, and I am glad to say that questioning has begun," Taimuraz Mamsurov told reporters.
Mamsurov's statement came after Putin ordered to step up investigation efforts following his meeting with Beslan mothers who complained about the lack progress in the investigation.
Mamsurov also said he had personally been answering prosecutors' questions for five hours, and dozens of Beslan witnesses had assisted in the investigation during the past two days too.
"We are on the way to revealing the truth. The main thing is that we will learn our lesson and avoid a lack of coordination and human losses in the future," Mamsurov said.