Lankan working for Saudi prince killed by thieves

Mohammed RASOOLDEEN in Riyadh

A Sri Lankan worker was killed by a snatch thief, who stole the victim’s laptop in the heart of the Saudi capital last week.

Confirming the murder, a diplomat from the Sri Lankan Embassy told the Daily News yesterday that the deceased was Mohammed Azwer, 39, a domestic aide, who was working for a prince in his palace in the city.

The incident took place when Azwer came out of his apartment with his laptop to get a clearer internet wireless connection to his Notebook. Three people had approached Azwer to snatch his laptop and he had resisted. “One of the three had stabbed him in his stomach during the scuffle and the others grabbed the laptop and all three took to their heels from the scene of crime,” the official said.

Groaning from pain due to stab injuries, the victim had immediately informed the prince. On the prince’s instructions, an ambulance had taken the wounded man to a hospital in Ummul Hammam, where the patient died 22 hours after admission.

The diplomat said it was revealed that the initial medical reports indicated that the death was due to natural causes.

On seeing the report, the prince had complained to police that he had seen his domestic aide injured following stab injuries and that he was taken to the hospital on his advice and requested for a judicial medical report. According to reliable sources there were stab injuries both on Azwer’s stomach and legs. Mather police had launched a widespread search for the three criminals.

The embassy official said the hospital in the Riyadh Medical Complex had conducted a post-mortem Wednesday and the mission is awaiting the report to pursue further action. The body is at the Semesi Hospital morgue. According to a police official from the Mather station, investigation are on to apprehend the culprits.

Azwer, from Avissawella, is married and has children.

He had been in the Kingdom for the past four years and was getting ready to go home on his vacation for Ramadan.