Sniper kills inmate awaiting interrogation in French prison

by Tina Kells | September 29, 2008 at 12:03 pm

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A French prisoner, with links to organized crime, was shot and killed by a sniper shortly before he was scheduled to be interrogated by police as part of an ongoing murder investigation. In prison on an unrelated conviction, the 29 year-old prisoner was believed to have important information regarding the murder. A second inmate was injured in the sniper attack, which sparked violence in the prison.

The murdered prisoner was identified by a French newspaper as Sghair Lamiri, who was born in 1979 and had links to organised crime.

Lamiri was serving an eight-year sentence for robberies committed in 2001 and 2002 and was about to be questioned about a murder case, said Ms Dati.

Ms Dati did not name the suspected gunman, but said he was aged 58 and had been remanded in custody.

"He denies the facts," she added, "but he was arrested when he was getting to his motorbike which had a false licence plate and his rifle with telescopic sight was still warm."

Scores of police and firefighters were sent to the jail after the incident.

Prison security official Martin Parkouda said several prisoners refused to return to their cells after the shooting, and others threw flammable material onto a workshop causing a fire which was later put out.