The press attache for the Russian Embassy in Latvia denied in an interview on Thursday with TV5 that Alexander Khapilov, an advisor to the ambassador, had been expelled from the country. Sergei Abramkin said the diplomat had left the country after being assigned to another post, although he did not say where.
Latvia's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the expulsion claims.
Another Latvian TV channel reported in October last year that while serving in Tbilisi, Khapilov had attempted to arrange the assassination of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
TV3 cited unidentified sources in Georgia as saying that while deputy ambassador in Tbilisi between 2000 and 2004, Khapilov sought out individuals to assassinate Saakashvili. The TV channel said the attempt did not go ahead only because the hired assassins had a car accident just prior to their planned attack.
The Russian Embassy in Riga has denied that Khapilov was involved in any plot to assassinate Saakashvili.
Latvia's Foreign Ministry ordered its intelligence agency to investigate TV3's accusations against the diplomat, but they could not be substantiated.
