RIYADH, 24 June 2006 — Police have arrested a man who shot dead the umdah, or administrative chief, of Al-Rahbaneya neighborhood in Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat daily reported yesterday. Barjas Al-Suhali was shot point-blank in his car as he was waiting at a red light at around 7 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
The gunman, who reportedly had a dispute with the official, quickly fled the scene. Police cordoned off the area and undertook a painstaking search for the assailant, who was arrested on Thursday.
The gunman had come on a number of occasions to Al-Suhali’s workplace and threatened him, relatives said. He had repeatedly written to Al-Suhali threatening to kill him.
Al-Suhali had talked to his wife on telephone shortly before the attack. He had told her that he would take her to hospital and asked her to get ready. When he failed to arrive home, the woman presumed that her husband had become busy at work.
She tried to contact him and his driver all evening to find out what had happened. The news of the shooting reached the family only at 2 in the morning. The woman fainted on hearing the fate of her husband and had to be hospitalized.
