Colleague admits murder of Algeria national police chief

Colonel Choiab Oualtache admitted that he killed Algeria’s national police chief Ali Tounsi, saying he had no prior intention to do that.

• Oualtache told the examining judge he committed the crime after he had lost his temper following insults.
•  
• “Tounsi has never summoned me for questioning but for an ordinary meeting due to be held before the crime,” he said.
•  
• Earlier on Thursday, the examining judge at a court in Algiers went to Lamine Debaghine hospital to hear the suspect as he recovered coma. He is still under treatment there.
•  
• Sources say the judge could not start hearing Oualtache until the treating doctor had authorised him after checking his ability to speak.
•  
• Oualtache said no one expect him has a hand in the murder and he killed Tounsi because he accused him of corruption and insulted him.
•  
• “As he is Algeria’s national police chief, Colonel Ali Tounsi talked to me individually in his office about a technical devices deal we imported to supply the helicopters unit. Tounsi said the deal was illegal as he found out that the imported devices are of bad quality,” said Oualtache.
•  
• “We had an angry discussion and Tounsi insulted me. I did not accept that because I devoted my life to serve my nation and I was not involved in that suspicious deal. That made me angry and I shot him,” he added.
•  
• “Tounsi’s two bodyguards shot me causing an injury in the stomach.”
•  
• The investigation is still underway until the suspect appears in court.