Georgian officials say the head of the country's National Security Council has committed suicide.

Nugzar Sadzhaya was found in his office in the capital, Tbilisi, Monday with what appeared to be a self-inflicted bullet wound. Officials say he died on the way to a hospital.

Nothing was reported about a motive or other circumstances of the death.

Sixty-two-year-old Mr. Sadzhaya was a close ally of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. He served as a senior Communist Party official when Mr. Shevardnadze led Georgia as part the Soviet Union. For the past seven years he was head of the Georgian leader's powerful security council.

Last week Mr. Sadzhaya came under fire from political opponents, who accused him of organizing the murder of Georgia's first post-Soviet president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia.

Mr. Gamsakhurdia was ousted from power 10 years ago, tried unsuccessfully to fight his way back, then died two years later (in 1994) under mysterious circumstances.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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