Manama: The chief of Algeria's national police, Ali Tounsi, was shot dead in his office on Thursday shortly before noon, an Algerian daily reported.
Witnesses quoted by Echorouk said Tounsi was killed by a 64-year-old retired army colonel who was hired by the national security agency to oversee the police helicopters unit.
According to the report, the officer had requested a brief private talk with Tounsi before the start of a larger meeting scheduled to discuss the findings of a corruption investigation allegedly incriminating the retired colonel.
The paper said that following a heated argument, the officer took out his gun and fired more than five shots before turning it on himself. He is believed to be in a critical condition in a hospital in Ain Nadja, Echorouk reported.
The victim had been in charge of the national police for the last 15 years when he was called to help in the fight against terrorism.
