Qatar detains Briton in criminal probe after ‘bludgeoning’ death at offshore platform
Qatari authorities have detained a British national as part of a criminal investigation into the death of a Briton at an offshore facility, where another Briton was also injured, a Ministry of Interior official said on Wednesday.
In response to a Reuters query, the official said in a statement that the Dec. 12 incident involved three British nationals who had been working for a contractor firm.
“One individual sustained fatal injuries, another was hospitalized and released. A third individual has been detained as part of a criminal investigation by the relevant authorities,” the official said without elaborating.
It was reported by the Daily Mail that the dead man had been “bludgeoned” with breathing apparatus and was then wrapped up in a bed sheet amid attempts to conceal the body in a bathroom in the staff living quarters.
The newspaper also said the suspect, from Aberdeen in Scotland, had planned to flee on a helicopter, but he was arrested after attacking a second man who had gone to check on his co-worker.
All three men involved in the incident are Scottish contractors employed by Ellon-based Film-Ocean, which has described the incident as “non-work related.”
A spokesman for the British foreign office confirmed the fatal incident at the Seafox Burj platform.
“We are supporting the family of a British man who has died and a man who has been injured in Qatar and are in contact with the local authorities,” he said in a statement.