JEDDAH, 30 September 2004 — All suspects detained in connection with the shooting of French national Laurent Barbot have been released after questioning by police turned up no evidence to hold them.
Brig. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, yesterday confirmed their release, including that of the fourth and last suspect, at whose house the previous three detainees had been arrested.
The initial arrests, where three suspects — an uncle and two nephews — were traced to a house in Bahra township to the east of Jeddah, resulted from clues from an abandoned Camry saloon registered to K.S. Al-Harbi near the scene of the shooting.
Brig. Gen. Al-Turki was at pains to point out that although Al-Harbi’s car was found in the locality, it was not proof of involvement in the crime.
The owner of the car told police that he had lent the car “to a close friend” of Arab nationality.
After questioning, the two nephews were released.
Police were able to trace the fourth suspect, who was spotted at a number of locations around the city before he was arrested near his house in an area near Hera Street. He was taken into custody while investigations were made to establish whether he was near the scene of the shooting at the critical time.
Sources said the fourth suspect may have had company with him when he was using the car. Police are interested in talking to them.
The uncle and the fourth suspect have now been released. Police sources said the suspects had received an apology for the inconvenience caused to them by their arrest.
Brig. Gen. Al-Turki said there will be no more information given for the time being as it might hinder ongoing police investigations, adding that the probe has now widened.
To date, no group has claimed responsibility for the killing of the Frenchman.
